Eclipsed
by SnarkyFanGirl
Summary: Edward's in a band, and he's tired of groupies and women who want to advance their careers by being attached to him. His bandmate and close friend, Jasper Whitlock, has found the love of his life, and believes that there is someone out there for everyone - they're just waiting to be found. Pure fluff, I'm not in a band so forgive errors in terminology. AU AH. Canon couples.
1. Inside of You

"Let's run it again," Edward demanded, reaching for a bottle of water. Emmett groaned.

"Come on, man. Really? We've run it through four times. It sounds great."

"No, it doesn't," Edward insisted. He downed half of the water before turning pleading eyes to Jasper, who shrugged.

"I promised my girl I'd have dinner with her before we go on," he said. He slid the shoulder strap over his head and rotated his neck, trying to work out the kinks. "We've been rehearsing for two hours, Edward. It's as good as it's going to get for tonight."

"I have to eat, man," Emmett said apologetically. "I don't wanna pass out during the show." He stood and shoved his drum sticks into his back pocket. Edward sighed. Those sticks would be broken before the show tonight, because Emmett would undoubtedly forgot that they were in his pocket and sit down on them.

"Jake?" Edward turned hopefully. Jake shook his head, and Edward felt his hope evaporate.

"Sorry, man. I'm starving. Maybe we should talk to Dennis and see if he can feed us before the shows from now on? Then we wouldn't have to take a break and leave before the show. You know Emmett's always late."

"Hey!" Emmett protested.

"Yeah, I guess." Edward switched the mic off and placed it back on the stand.

"So we're all good on the set list?" Jasper confirmed, stretching.

"I think so, but we can go over it before we go on – as long as everyone's back on time," Edward added, looking pointedly at Emmett. Emmett frowned and flipped him off. Jasper smiled and Jake snickered.

"I'll be back on time," Emmett promised angrily before stomping off the stage.

"Jesus, why'd you have to go and piss him off again, Edward?"

"Me? Jake's the one who brought it up."

Jake held his hands up. "Don't blame me for telling the truth. I'm out, man. See you guys in an hour."

"You want to grab some dinner with me and Ali?" Jasper asked. Edward shook his head.

"No, thanks, though. You know I get a nervous stomach. I'll eat after the show. I'm just going to go get some coffee."

"Yeah – just stay away from the energy drinks tonight, okay?" Jasper smirked as Edward rolled his eyes.

"It was one time, Jas. _One_ time. I learned my lesson after I wasn't able to sleep for almost two days."

"Yeah, it was one time, but it was more than one drink."

"Get the hell out of here, man. Go meet your girl and have your pre-show make out session."

"Don't hate on me and Ali. You'll find a girl one of these days and then you'll be disgusting the hell out of me."

"Don't count on it."

"I still don't understand why you won't let Ali fix you up with one of her friends. Hell, I don't understand why you haven't called the damned college station to find out who the Duchess actually is, and ask _her_ out."

Edward felt his face heat up, and he shrugged. The college station had a Saturday morning show that featured local bands. Edward hadn't missed it since his first year there, and he had just started his fourth and final (if he passed everything he needed to, that is) year. Somewhere in the middle of his second year, the male DJ that was normally on the air during that time was replaced with a female DJ who called herself "The Duchess." Edward had been immediately taken with the silken quality of her voice, and had entertained more than one fantasy about what the woman looked like face to face. She'd become even more special to him when he realized that she was actually playing the single that his band, Eclipsed, had sent out to all of the local stations. So far, the Duchess was the only one playing their music.

Not only was the Duchess playing their music, she was actively encouraging people to go to their live shows. Every week she announced the time, location, and cost of all of their upcoming shows. She played at least one of their songs every week, and sometimes she played more than one. All of the guys knew about Edward's fascination with her, and Emmett had even taken it upon himself to send her complimentary tickets that would get her and a friend into any one of their shows, but to Edward's knowledge she'd never used them. She obviously came to shows, though, because often she would comment on their performances. Edward enjoyed listening to her every Saturday, and he'd managed to record every one of her shows since he'd begun listening to her, but he was terrified of actually meeting her. What if she didn't live up to his expectations? He didn't consider himself shallow, but he'd be a liar if he said he wasn't afraid that she might not look the way he'd imagined her all this time.

"I'm not really looking for anyone right now," Edward deflected, downing the rest of the water.

"That's when it hits you the hardest, man – when you're not looking for it, and not expecting it. I'll see you later." Edward watched him leave, and then released the breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Are you guys all taking off?" Edward turned and the club owner, Dennis, was standing in the middle of the floor.

"Yeah. We'll be back in about an hour – everyone wants to grab something to eat before the show."

"I'm glad I caught you. I wanted to invite you and the guys to come back on Wednesday and check out the new girl who's performing. Jasper's girlfriend vouched for her, but I'm a little nervous about it."

"What do you mean? Jasper's girlfriend vouched for who?"

"She came to sing for me this morning," Dennis said, folding his arms across his chest. "Jesus Christ, this girl can _sing_."

"I'll bet she's easy on the eyes, too, huh Dennis?" Edward smirked. Dennis was a good guy, but he was a sucker for a pretty face.

"Fucking beautiful. At least,_ I_ think so. Anyway, Jasper's girl wants the place done in the style of one of those old supper clubs, and since I don't typically get a lot of business on Wednesday nights, I told her to knock herself out. She's gonna show up early with some friends and help set up."

"So why are you telling me this?"

"You guys are my biggest money makers on the weekends," Dennis began. "But during the week, I'm pretty much dead. I'd like to have some people here, so the girls don't feel like they've wasted their time. I think this girl's gonna be big, Edward. I just want to give her the chance." Edward stared at him. Lots of people had played in Dennis' bar over the years, but he'd never heard him tout someone else's talents like this before.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, I'll have to check with the guys, but I'm pretty sure I can be here."

"I'll comp dinner for you guys, and your girls too, if you want to come and bring them. I won't comp anybody else, but tell everyone you know and try to drum up some business for me, will you?"

"Yeah, sure. What kind of music is it, again?"

"I'm hard pressed to label her. She sang three different songs for me, each one a different style. She's blues, jazz, soul – the only way I know to accurately describe her voice is smoky. Thanks, man. I'll see you later. Good luck tonight." Edward stared after him as he walked away.

Jesus. If this girl was beautiful and had such a killer voice, Edward wouldn't be able to stay away from her. That scared him. He'd found Victoria and Tanya both that way, and it hadn't ended well in either situation for him.

Victoria was the singer in a metal band, and Edward had been drawn to her immediately. He'd gone to one show with Jake, and they'd screwed backstage while the next band performed. The sex was okay enough, and certainly Edward had enjoyed the thrill of doing it just behind the curtain to live music, but when they'd actually tried to talk to one another, Victoria had bored the ever loving hell out of him. She'd obviously known who he was beforehand and had thought that being publicly linked to him would help advance her own career. After he'd told her that he didn't want to see her again, she'd stalked him. He'd actually had to take out a restraining order on her.

Tanya was no less crazy, but she was smart enough that she hadn't been caught. He got the feeling that she still followed him around from time to time, but he'd never been able to prove it. He'd seen her on stage at a local bar after his stint with Victoria, and her fake tits and bottle-blonde hair had made her an appealing contrast to Victoria's small chest and fire engine red hair. Tanya was the lead singer for the band The Denalis, who were an industrial cover band. Edward felt, in retrospect, that that should have been a big red flag for him. He hated cover bands as a rule, and wouldn't have gone to see one in the first place, except that that night's planned band had cancelled for whatever reason. The Denalis had been available at a moment's notice – and Edward understood why, after seeing the performance. They were horrible. Tanya was possibly the only talent they actually had, and even she realized that her voice was being wasted with them. She'd cornered Edward at the bar and then fucked him in the hallway that led to the bathrooms. If he hadn't been so damned drunk, he would've known better. At least Tanya had been able to carry on a decent conversation, even if she _had_ been mostly talking about herself. Edward had put up with her clingy ways and her incessant talking for six months, and then one morning, he'd woken up and asked himself what the hell he was doing with her. Even the sex with Victoria had been better than what it was with Tanya, and he had been getting sex less and less frequently as the months had worn on. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time they'd actually _had_ sex.

It had been harder to break things off with Tanya, because she wouldn't just take a pat answer when she'd asked why. He told her that he needed sex more often, the sex was terrible with her, and he just didn't want a girlfriend at the moment. She'd thrown several books at his head, and then threw a book through his flat screen TV. It was almost worth it just to be rid of her, he'd thought.

His mind snapped back to the present and he realized he'd walked six blocks without being conscious of it. He shook his head to clear the fog from it and crossed the street to enter the coffee shop he'd apparently been heading to.

After he was sitting down with his drink (and had checked his watch, just to be sure that he had time to relax), he let his mind wander a little. If he was being honest, he was jealous of Jasper's relationship with Alice. Jasper and Alice had gone to middle school and high school together, and they'd gotten their own apartment when they'd both been accepted to the same university. They'd been together for going on seven years now, and Jasper was planning on proposing any day now. Alice was supportive of Jasper's music, and even though she could be clingy at times, she seemed to deal with the groupie situation with grace and aplomb. Her presence seemed to have a calming effect on Jasper, too. He was the only band member that actually had a steady girl, though.

Emmett, for all his loudness, was much like Edward in that he usually kept to himself. Of course, they _were_ brothers, so it figured that they had that in common. They shared an apartment just off campus, since they were both students. Physically, they were very different. Emmett was huge – like linebacker huge – and fit. There wasn't a whole hell of a lot that he enjoyed more than a good workout. He was a hell of a drummer, too. And he was smart, which a lot of people didn't give him credit for, since he was so big. They mostly assumed that he was just a dumb jock. He was okay with that, because people tended to underrate him. He loved surprising people.

Edward was muscular, but not in the same way that Emmett was. He ran every morning before classes, and sometimes in the evening, if he needed to think or burn off excess energy. He did sit ups and pushups, which had resulted in somewhat muscular arms and a very toned torso. Although Emmett had tried to get him to go to the gym, Edward preferred to spend the majority of his time on music – usually it was spent writing his own, but occasionally he enjoyed sitting in his room, strumming his guitar and singing something that he hadn't written.

Jake was the odd man out, if they had one. He lived in a dorm on campus. He was the one who usually accompanied Emmett to the gym, and he had the build to show it. He was Native American, and he was proud of his heritage. He kept his black hair long, claiming that he did it for the groupies. Jake definitely entertained more women than the other three band members combined. Emmett had bought into Jasper's hype about there only being one person out there for him, and therefore he'd stopped what little sleeping around he'd done in order to find "the one." They all got propositioned on a regular basis, but Jake was the only one who ever took the girls up on their offers.

Edward finished his drink and threw the cup away before heading back towards the club. Dennis' place, which was called The Wolf Den, was basically a bar. No one viewed it as just a bar, though, because it also had a large stage for performances. On nights when there were rock bands, Dennis would clear half of the floor so that people could dance or crowd around the stage. For more laid back performances, the tables and chairs were spread out so people could eat while they watched. Dennis employed two chefs and the food available ranged from burgers and fries to filet mignon. The bar area was in the back of the room so that people who were just there to drink were a little bit apart from those who were there for food or music.

Dennis had live entertainment every night, and had made sure that Eclipsed performed at least twice a month. He said that they drew the college crowd, and he made more money off of drunken college kids who wanted to see a rock show than he did from anyone else. For the last three months, Eclipsed had played every Friday night at the Den. Edward was bordering on exhausted because of it.

Emmett and Jake didn't work, choosing to focus on school. Jake lived off of his tuition refund checks, and Emmett lived off of the money that their parents sent to them. Jasper worked as a tutor on campus five days a week, and surprisingly enough, they paid him a decent amount for it. Alice worked in the on-campus coffee shop, which Jasper said she made a killing at. Apparently people tipped her very well. Edward tutored part time on campus, played in the band, was taking a full load of classes, and worked at the local pizza parlor as well. It had gotten to the point where even looking at a pizza outside of work almost made him feel physically ill.

He let himself in the back door of the Den and made his way out to the stage to check that no one had bothered the instruments. A quick glance around the dimly lit room showed that Dennis had removed half of the tables and pushed the other half to the back of the room. There were several people at the bar, but the room was otherwise mostly empty.

"Everything okay?" Edward jumped a little, startled by the voice.

"Yeah, it's fine. Looks the same as when we left it. How's Alice?"

"She's fine. She's coming with a group of friends tonight, so she took off to get ready."

"Newbies?" Edward wondered, making sure that Dennis had left them the water bottles they needed during performances. Once he confirmed that there were enough bottles, he glanced up at Jasper.

"Well, some of them are," he said, picking up the paper that held the set list, and passing it to his friend. "There's a few girls that are already fans. I could introduce you, if you-" Edward stopped him by holding his hand up.

"Not necessary, but thanks anyway. Oh, before I forget, Dennis wanted to know if we could make it in on Wednesday night. Apparently your girl has a friend who's performing, and he wants us to…" he trailed off when he saw the epic smirk that Jasper was wearing. "What?"

"I already know, man. Who do you think told Alice to try and use this place?"

"Oh. Does everyone else know already?"

"Yeah. We talked about it at rehearsal two days ago. Where's your head lately?"

"I have no fucking idea," Edward admitted, exhaling loudly. "So everyone else is going, then?"

"Yeah. I think Jake has invited his entire dorm, and he has a date lined up already. He's all over the free food, if nothing else." Edward laughed.

"I can't wait," Emmett added, vaulting himself onto the stage. "Free food – Dennis said we can order anything on the menu – including dessert!"

"Do you have a date, too?" Edward wondered aloud, looking at his brother. Jake approached the stage and piped up before Emmett could answer.

"Hell yeah, he does. I set him up with Mike's sister, Jessica."

"Your _roommate_ Mike?" Jasper clarified. Edward laughed and shook his head.

"Yeah, why?" Jake's voice was defensive.

"Do you remember the last girl he set Emmett up with?"

"Yeah, she was psycho. But this is his sister. She's gotta be fine, right? And she's a big fan of the band. She asked to be set up with Emmett." Edward and Jasper exchanged looks.

"Shit," Emmett muttered.

"What?" Jake looked at each of them, his eyes moving back and forth.

"You set me up with a damn groupie? I don't want to spend the entire night fighting this chick off." Emmett rubbed his face with both hands.

"So don't, then." Jake shrugged and jumped up onto the stage, heading towards his guitar.

"Is it really that easy for you, dude?" Emmett asked, frowning. "Do you just not have any standards, or what?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You just stick your dick into any girl that offers?" Jake considered this for a minute, and then shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess. What's wrong with that, if they're offering? I love sex. It's fun."

"Jesus," Edward breathed. "I hope you get tested regularly."

"He's probably on a first name basis with the doctors at the clinic," Jasper guessed. Jake's face turned pink, but he didn't answer.

"Is the set list final?" Emmett asked, nodding towards the paper Edward was holding.

"What do you guys think?" Edward asked. They crowded around him, glancing briefly at it before nodding.

"Looks good to me," Jake said.

"Same here." Jasper nodded and went back checking his guitar.

"Why isn't _Inside of You_ on there?" Emmett wondered, still looking over Edward's shoulder.

"I'm not comfortable with it yet," Edward said, frowning.

"Why the fuck did we rehearse it ad nauseam this week if we weren't going to play it?" His brother demanded. "It's the best song you've written in a while. It's also the only new material we've had in months. I think we should play it."

"No. No way." Edward shook his head.

"If Ed's not comfortable with it," Jasper began. Emmett jabbed a finger in his direction.

"Don't be an enabler, dude," he snapped. Jasper held his hands up in surrender. "We are all perfectly capable of performing this tonight. It sounded awesome this afternoon. We are playing it."

"Are you going to sing it?" Edward snapped back, standing. "Because I'm sure as hell not going to."

"Forget it," Jake said, shaking his head. He motioned to the room, which was filling up quickly. "We need to get off the stage and go get ready. We have thirty minutes, tops." Emmett turned and walked off the stage, and Jasper, ever the peace maker of the group, followed on his heels. Edward put the set list down and turned to leave the stage. "He's right, you know."

"Who, Emmett?"

"Yeah. It sounded great. We should do it. The crowd will go nuts – especially the women." Edward sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Yes, he'd written the song about sex, and he knew that the women would like it… but he'd written it with his fantasy of the Duchess in mind, and he wasn't sure he wanted to share it with everyone just yet.

"I'll think about it, but not for tonight, Jake." He turned and left the stage without waiting for Jake to argue. When he reached the small room backstage where they all hung out before and after shows, Emmett had already calmed down and was getting dressed. Jasper checked his reflection for a few moments, and then flopped down on the oversized leather sofa that sat against the wall. "Is that what you're wearing, Jas?"

"I don't have to impress anyone," Jasper drawled, arching an eyebrow. Edward snorted and held his arms out.

"And I do?"

"You're the face of the band, man, like it or not. The lead singer has to look flamboyant."

"Fuck off, man," Edward snarled, without heat. He flipped Jasper off and turned to the small rack of clothes that they had brought to choose from. He pulled his t-shirt off and heard a low whistle.

"When did you get your ink finished?" Emmett wondered. Edward glanced sideways and shrugged, reaching for one of the shirts that hung on the rack.

"Last week." He'd gotten a huge set of wings tattooed on his back, and the wings stretched out on both arms, stopping at his elbows. He'd been getting it worked on for weeks, and now it was finally finished.

"Mom's gonna shit a brick, dude." Edward shrugged again.

"Not if she doesn't know about it," he said, shooting a pointed look at his brother. Emmett grinned.

"What'll you give me to keep me from telling? I'm totally gonna be the favorite son now."

"Why'd you get such a big tattoo, if you knew your mom wasn't going to like it?" Jake wondered aloud, his eyes locked on his wardrobe choices.

"It's _my_ body, isn't it? Besides, if you're going to get ink, you might as well go big and embrace it."

"I like my girls with a little ink," Jake replied. Edward rolled his eyes and pulled on a plain white v-neck t-shirt. It covered his tattoo completely, except for the tips of the wings.

"Me, too," Jasper added, grinning lazily. "Ali has my name tattooed on her."

"Seriously?" Emmett asked.

"That's hot. Where?" Jake asked, turning to look at his bandmate. Edward screwed his eyes shut.

"I don't want to know!" he said quickly, shaking his head. Jasper laughed. "I actually like Alice, so I don't need to know where her _hidden_ tattoo is." Jake frowned.

"I like her, too, but that doesn't mean that I don't wanna know."

"It's too much for Edward's delicate ears, apparently," Jasper joked. Edward flipped him off, and he arched a brow. "Seems like you boys are doing that a lot today. Are you trying to tell me something? I mean, Alice told me how hot I look, but damn. Keep it in your pants." They all laughed. "Especially you, Jake." The laughter got louder. Jasper knew how to diffuse the tension.

"Five minutes, guys," Dennis said, poking his head into the room, and disappearing again.

"Are we ready to do this shit?" Emmett demanded, his eyes wide and excited, like they always were before a show. Edward felt his stomach shift nervously, and nodded. "Let's go!"

As soon as they heard Dennis' booming voice over the mic announcing them, a deafening noise went up from the crowd. They went out on stage, and the noise got louder. Edward waited for the guys to get situated, talking as they did.

"Hey, everybody. For those of you who've never seen us before, we're Eclipsed. My name is Edward Cullen, and this is Jasper Whitlock, Emmett Cullen, and Jake Black," he said, pointing at each person in turn. The noise from the crowd didn't die down, and he wondered briefly if anyone had heard him. "We just want to take a second and thank you all for coming out tonight. We hope you'll come out Wednesday, too, and check out the new act that's premiering. I've heard her voice is to die for. Maybe we'll see you there." He grinned, and Emmett tapped his sticks together before they launched into their first song.

_I wanna live, I wanna live_

_I wanna open up and breathe_

_I wanna go, I wanna be_

_I wanna feel it constantly_

Edward's eyes moved over the room as he sang, surveying the crowd. There were about the same amount of people here that came to every show, and he thought maybe he could even recognize some of the faces, though he'd never spoken to any of them. They did have some die-hard fans that came to every single show they did, no matter where they played.

_Gotta show, gotta stay_

_I've got a feeling that won't go away_

_I've gotta know if they got away_

_My opportunities_

They were mostly students from the local university, which was fine by Edward. He'd been approached a few times by fans who'd recognized him as he went from class to class. It always made him feel good to be recognized, even a little bit, because it meant that someone was paying attention to his music. He poured too much of himself into their songs for them to go completely unnoticed.

_Just one_

_Chance is all I ever wanted_

_Just one_

_Time I'd like to win the game_

_From now on_

_I'll take the chance if I can have it_

_Just one_

_Just one_

His stomach finally settled, and he relaxed into the song. It was always nerve-wracking to get on stage, but once he'd been on it for a few minutes, he was okay. Performing was the one thing that came naturally to him.

The band played, and he sang, and before he knew it, they were halfway through the last song on the set list. That was when he saw her.

He'd been looking around the room, and he'd found Alice near the middle, in front of the stage. Right next to her was a tall, gorgeous blonde, and next to her was… _her_. She was shorter than the blonde but taller than Alice, and she had dark hair that fell in long waves around her face. The lighting was dim enough that he couldn't make out the color of her hair – it had to be either brown or black, but either way, he didn't care. Her eyes were dark, too. But Jesus, _fuck_ – it was her mouth that did it. She had perfect cupid's bow lips, and her smile… _god in heaven_. She was smiling at her blonde friend, until Alice nudged her and motioned in the direction of the stage.

When her eyes locked onto his, he stuttered.

He glanced around, checking to see if anyone had noticed. When it appeared that no one had, his eyes found hers again, and he felt his knees go a little weak. She was biting down on that plump bottom lip. His eyes briefly scanned her outfit – a pair of snug, low-waisted jeans, a Pixies t-shirt that fit her like a second skin – and then his eyes were back on hers. The heat that flared in his stomach was new. The song ended, but before the guys could put the instruments away, he spoke.

"And this next song is our last song of the night – it's a new one, and you're all going to be the first to hear it. We weren't going to play it, but I feel… inspired," he said, his eyes locked on the girl. Alice squealed and clapped, but the girl stood transfixed, her eyes on him. He turned and nodded at the guys. Emmett's face lit up, and Jasper raised a questioning eyebrow, but said nothing. Jake rolled his eyes, and then they launched into the song that Edward hadn't wanted to perform.

He sang it straight to her.

His voice was low and smooth, and he hoped that his words affected her the way that just looking at her was affecting him.

_It seems so obvious_

_There's something up with us_

_I swear I feel it from across the room_

_So can I ask you this?_

_Not to be forward, miss,_

_But I think I'll kill myself_

_If I never know…_

_What do I have to do _

_To get inside of you?_

_To get inside of you?_

'_Cause I love the way you move_

_When I'm inside of you_

_When I'm inside of you_

_Just ask and I will do_

_Anything you want me to_

_There is no limit to how far I will go_

_And I'm sure I can pretend_

_To be a gentleman_

_But before I begin,_

_I just gotta know_

_I just gotta know_

_What do I have to do _

_To get inside of you?_

_To get inside of you?_

'_Cause I love the way you move_

_When I'm inside of you_

_When I'm inside of you_

_For now, I'll play the game_

_And I'm waiting for your move_

_But I've got to say_

_That I never lose_

_What do I have to do_

_To get inside of you?_

_To get inside of you?_

_What do I have to do_

_To get inside of you?_

_To get inside of you?_

'_Cause I love the way you move_

_When I'm inside of you_

_When I'm inside of you_

_When I'm inside of you_

_You_

_You_

_You_

_When I'm inside of you_

Edward stepped back and forced his eyes away from the girl long enough to flash a smile at the rest of the crowd. He waved and took a bow, and then waved one last time before allowing his eyes to search her out again.

Fuck. She was gone.

_**Yes, I am still working on other fics besides this one. I promise! I even started a new chapter for the Café today.**_

_**Link to Edward's tattoo: pm me if you want to see it, since the site won't post my link!**_

_**And since I'm totally unoriginal, all the songs in this chapter are by Hoobastank. "Just One" and "Inside of You."**_


	2. Sans Souci

**Bella's POV**

"I have no idea how I let you talk me into this shit," Bella said, tugging on the ends of her hair nervously. Alice giggled and shoved her forward, and because her luck just ran that way, Bella tripped over nothing and almost ended up smashing her face into the door.

"You know that this is something that you've wanted for a long time," Alice said, shrugging and shooting an apologetic look at her friend. She reached past Bella and opened the door. "This is fate."

"Fate happens on its own, if it's meant to," Bella snarked back, not moving. "This was totally _you_."

"Well, sometimes fate needs a little _push_," Alice said, pushing Bella gently for emphasis. She stumbled forward. "Just because I helped it along a little bit doesn't mean that it's not meant to be."

"I'm going to throw up, Alice," Bella threatened. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Then point it that way," she said, gesturing to Bella's left. Bella sighed.

"Seriously, this is a bad idea. I'm not good enough to-"

"You stop _right there_, missy." Alice's eyes were narrowed as she jabbed a finger into Bella's breastbone. Bella winced. "You are very talented. Unfortunately, without me around, you would probably let all of that talent go to waste."

"Not true. I've been in a couple of plays." It was a weak defense, but it was all Bella had. Alice's eyes narrowed even further, and she pursed her lips. Oh, hell.

"Isabella Swan." Ouch. Bella winced at that one. She hadn't been called Isabella since the last time she'd seen her dad a few months ago. "You are going to sing for this man, and you are going to _like_ it, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Alice." Bella sighed and rubbed the spot where Alice had poked her.

"So which one of you is Jasper's girl?" Bella turned and watched as Alice embraced the man who'd spoken.

"Dennis, you know damn good and well who I am," Alice chided good-naturedly. Dennis laughed.

"You're here often enough that I almost think I know you better than I know him! And who is this lovely creature?" He asked, turning to Bella. She forced a nervous smile.

"Bella." She shook his outstretched hand, her stomach turning nervously as she did. Was she really going to do this?

"Do you need me to set anything up?" Dennis asked, glancing from Bella to Alice, and then back again.

"I brought a CD with her music on it," Alice said, fishing it out of her handbag. "Ideally we'd like to have a bit of a band backing her up, but for today, this ought to do. You should know that any backing vocals will be performed by myself and our friend Rose."

"Got it. Let me show you the sound system – there's a disc player back here," he murmured, more to himself than to Alice. Alice grinned at her and followed him. Bella sat down on the edge of the stage and closed her eyes, trying to fight off the wave of nausea that threatened to overtake her. She was okay performing in front of an audience when she couldn't see individual people – if there was only darkness in front of her, like in the theater, she was okay, because she could pretend that there was no one watching. In smaller, more intimate places, she was no good, because she always tripped herself up thinking about their reactions to whatever she was doing.

"Ready, Bella?" Alice yelled from the back of the room. Bella took a deep breath and nodded, letting her eyes close as she did. As soon as the music started, Bella opened her mouth to sing and lost herself. It was one of her very favorite songs, jazzy and full of soul and so many instruments. There just wasn't much of this type of music being made anymore, she'd thought, which was one of the reasons she'd chosen it.

She poured herself into the song, swaying slightly as she sang. She tapped her hands against the stage, keeping time with the percussion, all the while keeping her eyes closed. Before she knew it, the song was over, and Alice was shoving an acoustic guitar into her hands to play along with the next track. Bella played, instinct taking over, and sang along. Her eyes were open now, but they were focused on the guitar, so she wasn't paying attention to the audience.

_My purple heart, all red and blue_

_Still lingers on the thought of you_

_Though it's just a little stain, I was hoping it would fade by now_

_Though it's over done and said, it's heavier than lead somehow_

_It lights a spark, leaves a residue_

_It burns in me, the embers of you_

_It's the darkest lullaby, tucks me in but still I lie awake_

'_Cause that morning sun will rise, and I hope I'm not the same _

_as yesterday_

_You would think that I'm okay_

_From the outside, looking in_

_Yes, I'm hard on myself, but that's just the way I am_

_So I put it in a box, and I keep it locked away_

_For as long as I can_

_I picture you alone, and you're picking up the pieces_

_I know I let you down, but I swear I had my reasons_

_To let you go_

_But I'm just stuck with_

_This purple heart, all red and blue_

_Still lingers on the very thought of you, _

_the thought of you_

_I know you can't forgive, but I don't want to regret_

_The life I would've lived if I didn't say the things I said_

_I'll surrender to this purple heart_

_It's no longer pumping red_

_This purple heart_

_The darkest shade of blue is_

_Purple heart_

Bella lingered on the last note, drawing it out, and let her voice trail off. She put the guitar down and wiped the tears away – that song never failed to make her cry, whether she was listening to it or singing along to it. The beginning of the third and final song sounded, and she closed her eyes and smiled to herself before launching into it. Alice had helped her choose the third song, and because the first two were slow ones, she'd wanted Bella to sing an upbeat song so whoever she sang for could see that she wasn't "an old sad bastard," as Alice had put it.

When the third song was over, she bit down on her bottom lip and opened her eyes. Dennis was staring at her, his jaw hanging loose. Alice stood and clapped her little heart out before running to get the CD out of the player. When she returned, the man was still frozen in his chair, staring at Bella. Her stomach did an unpleasant flip. Had it been that bad?

"Well, Dennis? What do you think of my Bella?"

"Jesus Christ," he whispered, shaking his head. He cleared his throat. Bella gave Alice a nervous look, but Alice just shrugged.

"Is that good or bad?"

"And just to clarify, you've never performed solo in public before?" Dennis asked, his gaze sharpening on Bella. She shook her head.

"I've been in a few of the plays over the last couple of years, but never big parts," she confirmed.

"Are you going to be okay performing in front of a crowd?" He wondered aloud, looking from her to Alice.

"I'm fine so long as the lights are off," Bella admitted, feeling her face heat up.

"Does that mean she can perform here?" Alice asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Hell, yes," Dennis affirmed. Alice squealed and launched herself at the man, who laughed as he caught her. "I'd be a fool to turn you down."

"There are some things I'd like to clarify, though," Alice said when he released her, suddenly all business. "I'd like Bella to receive at least twenty percent of the cover charge, and I want to decorate this place." She looked around briefly. "I want it to look like one of those old supper clubs, with the velvet on the walls, and chandeliers, and no lights in the room except for candlelight on the tables, and…" Bella's attention turned to her side, and she picked up the guitar that Alice had handed her to play. She caressed it with her fingertips, wondering where Alice had gotten it from. She hated the thought that she'd messed with someone else's instrument – she knew how temperamental that musicians could be, especially about the things that were attached to their art. After several minutes, she heard snapping, and looked up at her friend, who was standing with her hands on her hips.

"Did you hear _any_ of that?"

"No, sorry. I just kind of zoned out."

"He is such a nice guy. He offered to give you twenty five percent of the cover charge, and he said that if you got a pretty decent turn out, he'd be willing to start selling tickets for your performances and give you thirty five percent."

"That's awesome!" She turned and looked down at the guitar again. "Um, Alice?"

"Yes?"

"Where did you get this guitar?" Alice looked down at it and gave a little shrug.

"It's Edward's." Bella felt her eyes widen to what must have been comic proportions.

"Edward _Cullen?_ "

"Yeah, why?"

"Edward Cullen from Eclipsed?" Bella demanded, half standing. Alice's brow furrowed.

"I just said yes, didn't I?"

"I was touching Edward Cullen's guitar?" She felt close to hyperventilating.

"Jeez, Bella, it's just a guitar. It's not like you touched _him_, or anything."

"That's _exactly_ what it's like! Oh, my God! You know that I have a gigantic crush on him! Eclipsed is my favorite band!"

"Yeah, I know. So?" Bella stared at her friend.

"So what if I'd broken it, or something?" Bella stepped away from the guitar, just in case.

"Oh my lord," Alice said, snorting. She took the guitar and Bella watched as she took it back up to the stage and replaced it on its stand.

"I know he has a show here tonight, but I don't understand why he'd leave his guitar here," Bella mused aloud, more to herself than to her friend.

"They were in here practicing earlier, and they're coming back at one to practice more." Alice glanced at the delicate gold wristwatch she wore and rolled her eyes. "I love Jazzy to pieces, but Edward gets insane on performance days, and he needs my man around to calm him down. I don't usually get to see too much of him on the days when they play shows – but I _did_ claim dinner!" She giggled. "Are you coming with our group tonight, or are you going solo?"

"I'm coming with you guys, I guess," she said.

"Don't sound so enthusiastic!" Bella turned and glanced at the guitar again. "Okay, let's go. You'll probably never wash your hands again anyway, as it is." She laughed at her own joke, and Bella managed a small smile as she followed her friend out of the bar.

"When am I singing?" she asked, suddenly nervous again. She worried her thumbnail with her teeth as she followed Alice.

"Wednesday."

"That's five days away. It's not a lot of time to prepare," she said, her words coming out in a rush. Alice rolled her eyes.

"I already have your costume picked out."

"Costume?" Bella repeated cautiously. Alice sighed.

"Yes, Bella, costume. You wear one every time you go on stage, remember?"

"Are we talking normal clothes that you're just calling a costume or what? I don't want to go on in feathers or anything like that." Alice chortled and shook her head.

"Bella! No. Your costume is basically a regular outfit, just with added glamour. I really want to keep it in the style of the old supper clubs, like I told Dennis."

"And that means what, exactly?" They stepped into Bella's favorite café and she inhaled deeply. Coffee was one of her true loves, and even though the caffeine was a jolt to her system, the taste and smell of it calmed her nerves.

"It means exactly that you're not going to show a ton of skin, you're going to be singing to a very, _very_ dark room full of people, and I'm going to shower the place in black velvet drapes to make it even darker." Bella released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Oh. Good." They ordered their drinks and took a seat to wait.

"Bella, if you're that into Edward Cullen, why in the hell don't you just talk to him?" Alice wondered, giving her a sympathetic look. "The band has sent you tickets to the radio station, and I know that you pass him on campus all the time. Why not just introduce yourself as the Duchess and see what happens? Jasper's said before that he loves your show. He never misses it."

While that gave Bella a warm, tingly happy feeling, it didn't matter.

"How many girls a day come and introduce themselves to Jasper?"

"A lot," Alice replied, her eyes narrowing.

"And – no offense – he's not even the most recognizable person in the band. Imagine what must happen to Edward all the time, being the lead singer and basically the face of the band. I don't want to look like another groupie or fan just trying to hit on him." She rose and took the drinks that had been called.

"But surely it wouldn't make you look like just another fan or groupie by introducing yourself as the DJ who pimps his music out every week, right?"

"I don't want that kind of notoriety," Bella said, shaking her head. "If he notices me, I want it to be for _me_, and not for what I can do to help his band along, or just because I'm a crazy fan."

"You really like this guy, don't you?" Alice asked, tilting her head as she eyed her friend.

"How can I really like him if I don't know him? I like what I know of him," Bella corrected, blowing gently across the top of her coffee mug. "I love his music, and his voice? Oh, my God, Alice, his voice is-"

"Got it," Alice said, stopping her with a shake of her head. "You like the sex voice. Next?"

"He's not hard to look at," Bella reasoned, shrugging and glancing away from her friend.

"Yeah, he's hot. He's not as hot as my Jazz, but I definitely see the appeal there."

"Well, not everyone can have what you and Jasper have. I want it, but I also want sex. Lots and lots of sex." Alice choked on her coffee, and Bella smirked evilly. "That's what you get for pushing me about Edward Cullen," she declared. Alice mopped the tabletop with her napkin and narrowed her eyes at Bella.

"Just for that, I'm doing your makeup tonight." Bella groaned and slumped down in her chair.

"Man," she mumbled, fingering her cup. "I should know by now to keep my damn mouth shut."

"Yeah, you really should."

Several hours later, Bella found herself walking into the bar with a small group of friends – small by Alice's standards, apparently. All eight girls got their bracelets that told the bartenders that they were over twenty one, and they immediately went to the bar. The band wasn't on yet, which was good, because Bella hadn't missed a single minute of any performance they'd done locally, and if Alice had made her miss anything, she would've been pissed. Alice ordered their drinks, handing Bella her beer when the bartender gave it to her. Once everyone had their drinks, they made their way to the middle of the floor and chattered while they waited.

As soon as Edward came out onto the stage, Bella was transported to another world, just like she was every time she heard him sing or speak. There was something in that voice that just made you feel like he was singing only to you, and not to an entire room full of women who wanted to jump him. When he mentioned something about a show on Wednesday, she didn't make the connection that it was her that he meant.

Their set was great, as always, but Bella found herself wondering when they were going to write some new material. It wasn't like them not to have at least one new song every couple of weeks. She wondered if everything was okay.

"I would gladly take that drummer home with me," she heard someone say. She turned and smiled when she saw that Rosalie was talking to her. "He is so hot," she said, fanning herself. Bella smiled and was about to answer her when Alice leaned across Rose.

"Bella! I think Edward is staring at you!" Bella's head whipped around. Surely Alice was fucking with her? When her brown eyes met his green ones, she stopped breathing. He was looking in her direction, but how could she be sure that he was looking at _her?_ No, he must be looking at Rose, or someone behind her… right? She felt her eyes widen slightly when he stuttered on the word he'd been singing. She brought her teeth down on her bottom lip, embarrassed for him. In all the shows she'd been to, she'd never heard him miss a single word before. Then the song was over, and he was speaking.

"And this next song is our last song of the night – it's a new one, and you're all going to be the first to hear it. We weren't going to play it, but I feel… _inspired._" Bella's insides were doing funny things, and she vaguely heard Alice screaming, but she couldn't be bothered with it because now she was absolutely certain that he was looking at her.

Once she heard the words and got the gist of the song, her body began heating up. Desire flared low in her belly, and still he never took his eyes off of her. He sang every single word straight to her. What the hell was going on? Had she entered an alternate universe in which the hot guy finally noticed the stupid girl that had been harboring an unrequited crush on him for years?

Despite the fact that she was more turned on than she ever had been before, and despite the fact that she wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anything in her entire life, as soon as his eyes moved away from her, she fled.

She didn't want to ruin her fantasy version of him. Once he got to talk to her, he would realize that she was just a normal girl, and he deserved so much more than that. She couldn't bear the thought of rejection – and so she ran before he had the chance.

**The song Bella sings in this chapter is "Purple Heart" by Lucy Woodward.**


	3. In the Meantime

**Edward's POV**

Where the fuck had she gone?

I'd performed that song to _her._ I'd sang it straight to her as I stared into her eyes. That had never failed me before. Maybe she was a lesbian and the blonde girl was her girlfriend? No, that couldn't be right. I eyed the blonde – she was currently making moon-eyes at my brother.

I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to see if the heat that had flared up inside my body was justified, or if she was just a pretty face. And I'd be a fucking liar if I didn't admit that I wanted that mouth – talking to me, telling me to fuck off, kissing me – whatever she wanted to do with it. I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging roughly on the strands to try and distract myself, but it wasn't working. Whatever we'd started tonight, it didn't feel like it was going away. I needed to find that girl.

"Hey, Alice?" I called. Her head whipped around, surprise written across her features. Jasper leaned over and kissed her cheek and whispered something in her ear, and she smacked his arm before approaching me.

"Yeah?"

"Who was that girl you were with tonight?" She tilted her head and studied my face before answering.

"Which one? I came here with six girls."

"The one that was standing next to your blonde friend," I said, gesturing towards said blonde. Alice's eyes stayed locked on my face.

"You mean Bella?"

"Shorter than blondie but taller than you, with wavy hair down to here?" I clarified, gesturing to the middle of my chest. She nodded, and her face lit up with what could only be described as abject glee.

"Yeah, that's Bella."

"What's her last name?"

"Swan. Why are you asking?"

"I just- I wanted to know, is all. She shot out of here like a bat out of hell, and I wondered if maybe she didn't enjoy the show, or something."

"Are you kidding? Bella's like your biggest fan on the entire planet. She's been following you guys since she started school here three years ago. Well, it's almost been four years, now, but still."

Shit. She was a fangirl. Still, it didn't seem to matter… what fan would run away from the possibility of being with the lead singer of a band that they supposedly loved? He sighed, frustrated.

"If she's such a big fan, why didn't she stick around?"

"I think she was a little intimidated," Alice answered honestly. "Bella doesn't handle surprises very well, and you looking directly at her was bound to be a surprise. She's been to every one of your local shows. You've really never seen her before tonight?"

"No, I haven't."

"What about in classes? I know for a fact that she's had at least two classes with you in the last three years."

"What?" I'd never noticed her, but that wasn't saying much because I typically didn't pay much attention to my classmates unless I was forced to.

"I have an idea," Alice said, bouncing a little. "Why don't you come Wednesday night?"

"To the show here?" I clarified.

"Yeah. I heard you say something about it earlier."

"Bella will be there?"

"Yes, Bella will _definitely_ be here, I can promise you that." I stared at her for a minute.

"Okay." Alice launched herself at me and wrapped me in a tight hug before pulling away. I guess Jasper hadn't told her yet that I'd been planning on being here anyway.

"Trust me, you won't be sorry." Alice flitted away, and I shook my head. The problem was that I already had a feeling that I wasn't going to regret it, and that gave me pause. I was a firm believer in listening to my gut, but at the same time, I'd never felt anything like this before, and it was kind of freaking me out.

Saturday morning came, and with it, the anticipation of listening to the Duchess' radio show. I didn't bother to get out of bed, since I could reach my stereo's remote from my nightstand. I pushed the Power button and waited impatiently as the last classical piece played from the previous show.

"Good morning, my early risers." I closed my eyes and smiled to myself. Her voice never failed to give me shivers, which was a good thing. I wondered if she'd ever considered singing. "I hope everyone has big plans for the weekend. Let me get you started off right with some Frank Black. I know that technically when this album was released, he was going by Black Francis, but he'll always be Frank Black to me. Thanks for spending your Saturday morning with me when, let's face it, you could be doing better things - like sleeping." Her voice was replaced by one of my favorite songs. I sighed. Hearing the Pixies just made me think of Bella Swan and the skin-tight t-shirt she'd had on last night.

For some reason, I pictured Bella's face and body in my mind, but when I envisioned speaking to her, her voice belonged to the Duchess. Now _there_ was a fantasy I could get behind. Jesus. _Oh, fuck_. My morning wood was suddenly about to serve a definite purpose. I stroked myself languidly as I waited for her to speak again, but she just transitioned into another song instead. I had yet to dislike a single song she played. She had a penchant for 90's alternative rock with some classics and local artists thrown in (and sometimes for good measure she threw in an indie group or two), but it worked for me. I'd listen to the university station exclusively if they'd put her on the air more often.

"How many of my listeners went to the Eclipsed show last night?" she asked. My grip tightened and I felt my eyes roll back in my head as I listened to her satiny voice and pictured the girl from last night. My mouth went dry. "I have to say, I was very excited to hear a new song from them. It's been a while, hasn't it? They definitely did not disappoint, although I think it's fair to say that their lead singer seemed a bit… _distracted_, for lack of a better word, during that last song, don't you?" I sat up and stared at the radio. What the motherfuck? Was she talking about my slip-up? The guys hadn't even noticed it!

"Even that didn't take away from an intense performance. They killed it, just like they always do. If you guys haven't already checked them out, do yourself a favor and hit up one of their shows. You won't be sorry. Upcoming shows are…" I tuned out momentarily as she went over the schedule for the rest of the month. Shit, this was going to bother me. Was she talking about my vocal slip-up or the fact that I'd been staring at Bella Swan the entire song? For the first time, I sincerely thought about calling her, just so I could ask. I picked up my phone and stared at it. Was I really going to do this?

"…and as always, you guys are welcome to call in with any requests you might have. Our number is 555-9865. Apologies to the woman who asked for Johnny Cash. I don't have a problem with the man in black personally, but that's an artist for our classic country show, which airs on Sunday afternoons. Here's some Spacehog to enjoy in the meantime." My lips turned up and I found myself grinning stupidly at the stereo.

Before I could lose my nerve, I punched in the station's number and pressed _send_. It rang four times, and I was about to hang up when I heard a click.

"WUOL, this is the Duchess. What's your request?" My heart was beating so hard I thought I was going to be sick. I was actually about to talk to someone I'd fantasized about countless times, and she didn't know me from Adam.

"I don't actually have a request," I admitted. "I wanted to ask you a question."

"Wait," she said, her voice rising a little bit. "You sound like – are you – is this… is this a joke?"

"Why would this be a joke?" Who the hell did she think I was?

"Is this," she paused. I waited. "Is this Edward Cullen?" I blinked and squeezed the phone a little tighter. It made sense that she knew who I was, since she was a fan, right? But still – damn. To recognize me on the phone? That was pretty fucking awesome.

"Yeah, actually. I was just wondering what you meant when you said I was distracted last night."

"Oh," she said, laughing softly. Even her laugh was fucking musical. Why hadn't I thought about recording this call so I could listen to it again any time I wanted to? "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, or anything. It just seemed like you were focused on something other than the music during that last song. I mean, it could just have been me, but I thought I heard you mess up a couple of words."

"And here I thought that no one caught that," I teased, smirking even though she couldn't see me. "None of the guys did, anyway."

"Yeah, I probably pay more attention than I should sometimes." Her breathy admission felt like a fist around my chest, making it hard to breathe. I was harboring a _huge_ crush on this chick, and had been probably since the first time I'd heard her voice. Was it possible that the attraction might be returned?

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not always, but it depends on how you look at it. I mean, I _did _call you out on the air, right?" I laughed.

"Yeah, you did, but I'd be surprised if anyone else heard it. Am I stupid if I say that it's kind of flattering that you watched me closely enough to catch it?"

"Yes, it's really stupid." She laughed again, and I wanted to capture it. Jesus, if I could bottle that laugh and sell it, I'd be one rich motherfucker. "But then again, rock stars aren't particularly known for their intelligence." The fuck? Did she just insult me?

"I'm a lot smarter than you're giving me credit for."

"I don't doubt that for a second." She cursed softly, and I smiled. "Look, Mr. Cullen – Edward?"

"Edward. Just Edward." This stupid grin was hurting my cheeks, but I couldn't stop.

"Okay, just Edward," she said, laughing again. My chest hurt. "I'd love to talk longer, but I have to go. The other lines are ringing off the hook for some reason."

"Wait," I blurted. "Are you busy Wednesday night?" The deafening silence on the other end of the line made me want to kick myself. What the fuck was I doing? I'd never even laid eyes on this chick. She could be completely physically repulsive – though somehow, I really doubted that, and even if she didn't look like I'd pictured her in my head, I knew I'd sit and listen to her read the damn phone book, if I could. She would be the perfect companion to the show at the Wolf Den.

"Are you asking me out?" she sounded disbelieving.

"Um, yeah, I guess I am."

"Well, fuck," she breathed. Heat flooded my body, and I cursed myself again for not having had the foresight to record our conversation, because I really, _really_ wanted to hear her say that again. "It just figures. I can't Wednesday, I've already got plans."

"Oh. Okay." I couldn't hide the disappointment, and I felt like a loser for letting her hear it in my voice. It wasn't like I couldn't get a date, if I wanted to. "Well, I don't want to keep you. Thanks for talking to me."

"It was my pleasure," she said, sending chills down my spine. "Anytime, Edward." Then the line went dead. It took me all of ten minutes sitting there, staring dejectedly at my phone, before I realized my idiocy. She hadn't said she wouldn't go out with me at all, she'd just said she had plans for Wednesday night. Grinning, I hit redial.

"WUOL, this is the Duchess. What's your request?"

"How about Friday night?"

"Edward?"

"Do you get many guys asking you out over the phone at the radio station?" Silence. Well, fuck. "Yes, it's me."

"But you have a show Friday night at the Den."

"Hang out with me afterwards? I don't eat until we finish, anyway. We could grab a bite and maybe a few drinks."

"Are you sure? You don't even know me."

"I'm trying to change that." There were a few seconds of silence that made me almost begin to sweat.

"Yeah, okay," she breathed, her voice barely audible. My smile threatened to crack my face in half. "How will you know who I am, though?"

"I'll let the Den owner know to expect you, and he'll send you backstage after the show's over."

"If you're sure about this," she said.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," I declared. She laughed again. "Okay, I'll let you get back to your show. I'll see you Friday, Duchess." I disconnected, and as soon as I was sure the call had really ended, I let out a loud, triumphant yell.

It was only a few minutes later that I realized I'd completely forgotten to ask what her real name was.

**Bella's POV**

I hated mornings. No, seriously, I hated them. Maybe loathed would be a better word. They sucked. The only morning that I actually looked forward to was Saturday morning, and that was only because of my radio show. Even that morning was usually tainted because of the night before. On Friday nights it had become my habit to spend the evening at The Wolf Den – I would get there early, drink some beer, and watch Eclipsed play. After they'd left, I'd either go home or go out for a late dinner with Alice or Rose. Last night I'd been so freaked out, I'd gone by the liquor store before going home and I'd wound up drinking a six pack of beer by myself. I hadn't gotten fall down drunk, but I'd gotten buzzed enough that I had a killer headache this morning.

I stopped by Starbucks on my way to the station. The barista, Angela, worked every Saturday morning and knew me well enough to have my order waiting for me when I got there. I paid for my venti mocha and grabbed a blueberry muffin as well. When I got to the station, Ben was finishing up his shift, and waved at me from the booth. I waved back, and when he motioned for me, I went ahead and carried my messenger bag and my goodies into the booth.

"It's been all quiet on the western front," he quipped, shooting a grin at me. I smiled back and sat my bag down on the floor.

"You say that every week," I pointed out.

"Ah, but it's true every week." He picked up his keys and wallet off of the table and stood. He eyed my cup as he stretched. "Is Angela working again this morning?"

"Just like every Saturday morning," I said, nodding. I took the seat he'd just vacated. "One of these days you'll finally grow a pair and go talk to her."

"It might be today," he mused, waggling his eyebrows at me. "Today feels like a special day."

"Go, get out of here! Go get your woman." He laughed and left the booth, and I locked the door behind him. I flipped through a few CDs and queued up my first song. I put the headphones on and took a sip of my coffee before the song that was playing had completely faded. I always felt a little nervous before I went on the air.

"Good morning, my early risers. I hope everyone has big plans for the weekend. Let me get you started off right with some Frank Black. I know that technically when this album was released, he was going by Black Francis, but he'll always be Frank Black to me. Thanks for spending your Saturday morning with me when, let's face it, you could be doing better things - like sleeping." I pressed play and switched the mic off. There was nothing quite like the Pixies to wake you up on a sleepy Saturday morning. I pulled another song and queued it up, ready to play after the first one, so that I'd have a minute to scarf down my muffin. Of course, it wouldn't be _my_ show if I didn't mention last night's show. I thought about what to say while I chewed. I washed it down with a drink of coffee and cleared my throat. The phone rang before I could do anything else.

"WUOL, this is the Duchess. What's your request?"

"How 'bout some Johnny Cash?"

"I'll see what I can do, but I don't think I'll be able to get to it, Jasper." He laughed.

"It's fine, Ali just wanted me to call and find out if you wanted to have lunch with us after you get off work."

"Yeah, where should I meet you guys?"

"Student union. See you later, Bells."

"Bye, Jasper." I hung up and shook my head, pressing the button to turn on the mic.

"How many of my listeners went to the Eclipsed show last night? I have to say, I was very excited to hear a new song from them. It's been a while, hasn't it? They definitely did not disappoint, although I think it's fair to say that their lead singer seemed a bit… _distracted_, for lack of a better word, during that last song, don't you? Even that didn't take away from an intense performance. They killed it, just like they always do. If you guys haven't already checked them out, do yourself a favor and hit up one of their shows. You won't be sorry. Upcoming shows are every Friday for the rest of this month at The Wolf Den. Shows are all ages, but those of you under twenty one will have to suck it up, because you won't be allowed to purchase alcohol. Sorry, kiddies. All shows start at eight o'clock. Don't be late, because you won't want to miss a single song they play. I've got some Eclipsed coming up for you in just a bit, so hang around for that. Thanks for listening, and as always, you guys are welcome to call in with any requests you might have. Our number is 555-9865. Apologies to the woman who asked for Johnny Cash. I don't have a problem with the man in black personally, but that's an artist for our classic country show, which airs on Sunday afternoons. Here's some Spacehog to enjoy in the meantime."

I laughed softly to myself. Did anyone ever get my stupid jokes? It didn't really matter, since I thought they were pretty funny. As long as no one complained and I followed the station's rules, I had been given free reign of my time slot. I could play whatever I wanted, and I enjoyed doing just that. Jasper was going to kill me for calling him a woman, but Alice had been the one who'd told him to call in the first place, so I didn't feel quite as bad. He needed the shit taken out of him every now and then, anyway.

And didn't it just figure that as soon as I'd given out the station's number, the phone started ringing off the hook? Jeez.

"WUOL, this is the Duchess. What's your request?"

"Yeah, you rock. Can you play some Skynyrd?"

"Sorry, man, wrong time slot. Classic rock starts at noon." I hung up and switched to the next line.

"WUOL, this is the Duchess. What's your request?"

"I don't actually have a request," the silken voice explained. I froze. I'd know that voice anywhere. I'd been following it all over town and listening to it every Friday night. "I wanted to ask you a question."

"Wait. You sound like – are you – is this… is this a joke?" There's no way. He couldn't really be calling me, could he? Oh, shit. Oh, hell. He was calling because he was mad that I'd called out his flub last night. That's all it could be. Damn, damn, damn.

"Why would this be a joke?" He sounded kind of upset. Yeah, that had to be the reason he was calling. Fuck.

"Is this," I took a deep breath. I had to make sure it was him – I had to make him verify before I freaked out too much more. "Is this Edward Cullen?"

"Yeah, actually. I was just wondering what you meant when you said I was distracted last night." Oh, my god. I was going to pass out. I was actually going to pass out. Jesus. I needed to calm down, and quick. Maybe I could play it off like it was no big deal. That might work, right? Shit. Act calm!

"Oh," I forced a laugh, even though my heart was beating frantically. Way to get his attention, Bella. Of course he listens to the _good_ stuff you say about his band, but the first time you say something even remotely negative, he calls your show! "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, or anything. It just seemed like you were focused on something other than the music during that last song. I mean, it could just have been me, but I thought I heard you mess up a couple of words."

"And here I thought that no one caught that," he said. Was he fucking _teasing_ me? His voice suggested he might be. My face flamed. "None of the guys did, anyway."

"Yeah, I probably pay more attention than I should sometimes." Shit, shit, shit! I hadn't meant to admit that to him.

"Is that a bad thing?" Was he kidding? He probably wouldn't have asked that if he'd known how much I actually paid attention to him when I saw him.

"Not always, but it depends on how you look at it. I mean, I _did _call you out on the air, right?" I bit down on my lip, wondering if he was going to start yelling at me.

"Yeah, you did, but I'd be surprised if anyone else heard it. Am I stupid if I say that it's kind of flattering that you watched me closely enough to catch it?" My stomach did a somersault, but I couldn't resist teasing him when he made it so easy.

"Yes, it's really stupid," I laughed. "But then again, rock stars aren't particularly known for their intelligence."

"I'm a lot smarter than you're giving me credit for." Jesus Christ, I knew. I'd been in a few classes with him – I knew that he wasn't just a pretty face with a pretty voice.

"I don't doubt that for a second." Fuck – the lights on the phone were going crazy. Why was it that everyone decided they wanted to request a song the one time that Edward Cullen had called me? "Look, Mr. Cullen – Edward?"

"Edward. Just Edward."

"Okay_, just_ Edward," I said, laughing. It was ridiculous that he'd say he was "just" anything. "I'd love to talk longer, but I have to go. The other lines are ringing off the hook for some reason."

"Wait. Are you busy Wednesday night?" _Fuck me_. I was at a loss for words. Was he asking me out? What was I supposed to say to that?

"Are you asking me out?"

"Um, yeah, I guess I am." And now I was going to throw up. I'd been lusting after the man for three years, ever since the first time I'd heard his voice, and he was finally asking me out, and I was going to have to turn him down. Life just sucked sometimes.

"Well, fuck. It just figures. I can't Wednesday, I've already got plans." I hoped he didn't think that I had plans with another guy, but there was nothing to be done about it. I half hoped he'd ask me out for another night, but his reply popped that bubble of hope.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I don't want to keep you. Thanks for talking to me."

"It was my pleasure," I said, meaning every syllable. "Anytime, Edward." I hung up and stared at the phone for a moment, and then sighed. Of course now that we'd hung up and my window of opportunity was gone, there was only one line blinking to be answered. I sighed again heavily.

"WUOL, this is the Duchess. What's your request?"

"How about Friday night?" Holy shit. Holy, holy fucking shit. He'd called back.

"Edward?"

"Do you get many guys asking you out over the phone at the radio station?" I didn't say anything, because while it didn't happen _every_ shift, it _had_ happened a few times before. "Yes, it's me."

"But you have a show Friday night at the Den," I stupidly informed him. Idiot! He knows when he's playing a show, for god's sake!

"Hang out with me afterwards? I don't eat until we finish, anyway. We could grab a bite and maybe a few drinks." I opened and closed my mouth a few times before answering.

"Are you sure? You don't even know me."

"I'm trying to change that." HOLY SHIT, he was really trying to get me to go out with him! He didn't even know what I looked like! What if he hated me? What if – oh, hell. I was probably never going to get this chance again, and I _had_ been waiting for it for three years.

"Yeah, okay. How will you know who I am, though?"

"I'll let the Den owner know to expect you, and he'll send you backstage after the show's over."

"If you're sure about this," I hedged. He still hadn't asked for my name, which I thought was a little strange. Maybe he liked the mystery of not knowing? Maybe he secretly knew who I was and didn't care? I didn't understand, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," he said. I laughed at that. "Okay, I'll let you get back to your show. I'll see you Friday, Duchess." He hung up, and I stared at the phone for a full minute before scrambling to start the next song. Jesus, Alice was going to _die_ when I told her about this.

After the excitement of a phone call and a date (holy fuck!) with Edward Cullen, the rest of the show seemed to float by in a haze. When I finally sat down at the table with Alice and Jasper, I felt like my head was going to be in the clouds permanently. Alice, of course, knew immediately that something was going on.

"What happened?" I glanced at Jasper, who got the gist and rose from the booth.

"Fries all around?" he asked. I nodded and Alice smiled at him.

"Cokes and two of those hot turkey and cheese croissants too, okay Jazzy?" He saluted her and walked away as she giggled. She turned to me. "Okay, that'll keep him busy for at least twenty minutes. Those things take forever to make."

"So Edward Cullen called in to the show today," I said, laying it out there. Alice's squeal caused several pairs of eyes to turn in our direction. "Jesus, Alice!"

"And? What did he want? Don't make me drag it out of you."

"I thought he was calling to yell at me for calling him out on his word flub last night," I admitted, playing with the salt shaker that had been in the middle of the table. "I mean, he did want to know what the hell I meant when I said he was distracted."

"Was he mad?"

"I thought he was at first, but he really wasn't. I actually didn't even believe that it was him at first. Anyway, he said he was surprised that I'd caught his mistake because none of the other guys in the band had. Then I kind of told him that singers were stupid, and-"

"You _what?_"

"But he laughed," I said, hearing the defensiveness in my voice. "Then he asked me out."

"You said yes, right?" When I looked away, she smacked the table with her open palms. "Bella, please tell me you said yes!"

"He asked me out for Wednesday night," I explained. She went very still. "It just fucking figures that that's the night he picked. I told him that I had other plans, and he said okay and hung up."

"Why didn't you tell him about the Den?"

"I didn't want it to sound like I wanted anything from him. Think about it – he's pretty well known around here, and I didn't want it to sound like I was inviting him in order to get more people there, or something. He already sort of pimped my show out last night."

"Damn it," she muttered, slouching.

"But he called back." She straightened again.

"Explain."

"He called back right after that and asked me out for Friday night. I pointed out that he had a show that night, and he said we could go get dinner after the show was over."

"Yeah, you know he gets a nervous stomach before he performs, so he doesn't usually eat before he sings."

"Well, I asked him how he'd know who I was, and he said he'd tell Dennis to let me into the backstage area after the show was over."

"So he never asked your name?"

"No. Is that weird? I feel like that's weird."

"What's weird?" Jasper asked, carefully sitting a very full tray on the table.

"Edward called in to Bella's show today," Alice said. Jasper's eyebrows shot up.

"Seriously? Was he mad about your comment, or something?"

"I thought he was, but he wasn't. He just asked me what I meant by it."

"He asked her out." Jasper's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open.

"Edward asked you out?" I nodded and chewed on my lip. "That's kind of a big deal, Bella. He loves your show and never misses it, but he's always blown me off when I told him to call you."

"You've told him to call me before?" I squeaked, feeling my face heat up.

"Yeah, but he always gives me these pat reasons for not calling. I'm glad he finally manned up. When are you going out?"

"He asked me for Wednesday, but I said no – for obvious reasons. Then he asked me out for Friday."

"Before or after the show?"

"After. He said we could get dinner or something." Jasper nodded, and I relaxed a little bit.

"He didn't ask her for her name, though," Alice piped up, dipping a fry in ketchup. "He just told her that he was going to tell Dennis to let her backstage afterwards."

"So, wait – did you tell him what you were doing Wednesday?" Jasper asked, his eyes focused on me.

"No, why? Should I have?" I felt my forehead wrinkling as I worried. Alice shook her head and waved me off with one hand.

"No, it's not that big of a deal. You can always explain on Friday when you see him." She and Jasper exchanged a look, and I was immediately suspicious, though I said nothing.

"I'd appreciate it if you don't tell him that you know me," I said, looking at Jasper. "I don't want him to think I'm trying to get to him through you, or anything."

"Please. If that was your angle, you could've exploited it long ago – but I won't say anything."

"He asked me about you last night," Alice added. I felt my eyes widen in surprise.

"Me, me, or Duchess me?"

"You, you."

"Well? What did he say?"

"He just wanted to know if you hated the show or something, since you bolted after that last song." I covered my face with my hands.

"Jesus, so now when he realizes who I am, he's going to think I'm some sort of bipolar fangirl. Great." My first real shot with him was ruined before I'd even really gotten it.

"No, it's okay. I just told him that you didn't handle attention very well, which is true."

"Even better. A hot guy sings a song directly to me, and I can't handle it. Wonderful."

"A song about sex," Jasper offered. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Hey, he didn't even want to play the damned song before we went on. Something about you obviously caught his interest and made him change his mind. That's a good thing, Bella."

"I guess," I admitted, fighting back the smile that threatened to take over my face. It had been one of the best moments of my life – and hands-down the most erotic one. I felt fevered just thinking about it.

"It was intense," Alice added, shaking her head. "He was looking at you like he wanted to eat you." Jasper laughed, but I didn't. She was telling the truth, and I'd felt it all the way down to my toes. "We'll talk about date outfits later. Right now, it's getting down to crunch time for your first real performance, and we need to work out some kinks there. I want it to go off without a hitch."

I rolled my eyes and settled in for the lecture. Alice really did have my best interests at heart, and I trusted her to make everything as awesome as she'd said she would. She would take care of everything but the singing, which was obviously up to me. I just hoped I didn't embarrass myself.


	4. Ragdoll

**Edward's POV**

The weekend had flown by. I'd worked a double shift at the pizza place on Sunday and collapsed into my bed on Sunday night around eleven, exhausted. I'd sort of daydreamed the weekend away anyway, after Saturday morning. I was equal parts scared, nervous, and fucking exhilarated about my date Friday night.

Monday dragged by because I was so exhausted, and I barely made it through my litany of classes. I fell asleep before it was dinner time. Tuesday was much the same, but because I didn't have to work and only had two classes, I went to bed around lunch time. When Wednesday dawned, I felt better, even though I was kind of dreading the show I'd promised to attend tonight. It would've been infinitely better if I'd gotten the Duchess to agree to go with me, but at least I'd get to see her Friday night.

Tonight, Alice had promised that she'd have Bella there.

I felt like kind of a dick. I wasn't dating either girl, but knowing that I'd made plans with the Duchess on Friday, it made me feel a little bad that I was looking forward to seeing Bella Swan tonight – but not bad enough that I wasn't excited about it.

Classes passed, and just like Monday, I felt almost like I'd sleepwalked through them. When dinner time got closer, I called Jasper.

"Hello?"

"Jasper, you and Alice are still going to that show at the Den tonight, right?"

"Uh – yeah. Yes, we are. Why, do you need a ride?"

"Yeah, if you guys don't mind." At least if I wasn't driving and the show was horrible, I'd have the option of getting piss drunk.

"Ali's going to ride ahead with Bella, so you can just ride with me." I felt my stomach do a flip at her name.

"Are you friends with Bella, too?" I wondered aloud. I'd never heard him talk about her before.

"Yeah. Bella's cool. She and Ali have been best friends since we moved here."

"You guys hang out a lot?" I tried to sound casual, but I'm pretty sure I failed. His laughter confirmed it.

"At least once a week, sometimes more, depending on what we've got going on. She's like a sister to me. Why the sudden interest?"

"I'm just wondering about her, is all. I saw her at the show Friday."

"Jesus! _She_ was the girl you sang to?"

"Maybe," I hedged, sighing. "Why?"

"Edward, do you know how many times I've tried to set you up with Bella?" I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, frozen to the spot.

"What?!"

"Bella's a huge fan of the band, and I know you hate fangirls, but she's a good girl. You guys are a lot alike. I can think of at least four different times in the past year that I've tried to get you to go out with her."

"Fuck," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "Why didn't you ever show me a picture of her?"

"Shallow much, Edward?" he asked, laughing. "If I'd have done that, you would've hooked up with her and that would have been the end of that. She's too good for that. She's not fuck and dump material, she's actual relationship material." How could I tell him that I had actually been considering the fuck and dump idea now? She was hot. Could he really blame me for wanting to have sex with her?

"Sorry," I said, not feeling sorry at all. Now I was a little pissed off. I wasn't going to be able to sleep with Bella, because if I did, I had a feeling that it would impact my relationships with both Alice and Jasper. Alice I wouldn't have minded, but Jasper? That shit wasn't going to fly. I needed him because of the band, and because he was my best friend. Fuck.

"So when should I pick you up?"

"How about an hour from now?"

"Will do. See you then." He hung up, and I trudged back to my car before driving back to my apartment to get ready. All I could think about was the news that Bella was basically forbidden to me now, and the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I got. I threw my keys and my backpack down on the floor next to the door and stomped through the apartment.

I knew I was acting like a kid, but I couldn't help it. It just figured. The one woman in _months_ that I'd actually thought about hooking up with, and I couldn't because the hookup, no matter how epic it might be, might cost me a vital friendship. I got dressed, just throwing on a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Why should I bother to try and look good for someone that I wasn't going to be able to go near?

Jesus. I hadn't realized before now how much I'd actually wanted this girl – not until I knew that I couldn't have her.

I sucked down two beers and flopped down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling and just generally hating everything for the moment. When I heard a horn, I grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys, and locked up before sprinting out to his car. Once I was inside and we were moving, he arched an eyebrow at me.

"Not even trying tonight, are you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feigning innocence. He chuckled.

"You know that the chicks just want you more when you don't try – you look more like a 'bad boy,'" he explained, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with." He shot me a sideways look.

"How much do you know about tonight's show, Edward?"

"I know that your girlfriend had something to do with it, and that it's going to be some boring ass supper club shit." He snorted and rubbed his forehead with the hand that wasn't on the wheel.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You never even asked what kind of music you're going to listen to? Did Dennis tell you _anything?_"

"Yeah," I said, giving him a look. He was acting a little strange, even for him. "He said he couldn't label this chick – she was jazz or soul, or something. Why? What do you know about her?"

"I know that her voice is fucking phenomenal," he said. I blinked. Both times I'd heard someone talk about this singer, they'd been almost reverent. "She plays the guitar, she sings, she writes music – this is her first public performance."

"Okay," I said, drawing the word out. "I told Dennis I'd go, so I'm going."

"I'm telling you, you're going to shit yourself when you hear her. I'll be nice, and I won't tell her that you didn't actually want to come."

"Do you know this chick, or something?"

"Yeah, I do." He didn't elaborate, and he was silent the rest of the way to the bar. Once we got inside, I was surprised to see that the bar had been transformed. Alice had done a killer job – it didn't even look like a bar anymore, it looked like a legitimate restaurant. I felt like I'd stepped into another era, almost. Another look around made me even more surprised – the place was packed, like standing room only packed. Emmett waved at us from a booth near the back of the room, which worked into my getting hammered plan.

"Hey guys," Jake said, grinning. He nodded towards the skanky looking blonde beside him. "This is Kate. Kate, this is-"

"It's Edward Cullen!" she said, clapping her hands together and bouncing in her seat. I shot Jake a wary look, and he shrugged. "I am such a big fan. Seriously."

"Uh, thanks," I said, sliding into the booth next to my brother. "Hey, Em."

"Hey." I waited for him to introduce us to his date, who was also clearly waiting for the same thing, but when Emmett didn't say anything, she rolled her eyes and spoke up herself.

"I'm Irina."

"Hi." I turned my attention away from them, since Emmett was clearly unhappy, and Jasper shrugged.

"Jasper Whitlock. Nice to meet you, ladies."

"Welcome the the Wolf Den. May I take your orders?" I turned in surprise to see a waitress standing at the side of the table, pen and notepad poised to write our orders down.

"What the hell? This place doesn't have waitresses," Emmett blurted.

"Special events call for special measures," the waitress replied, with what looked like a genuine smile. After she'd taken our orders and left, Irina cleared her throat. One look at Emmett's unhappy face and I knew the shit was about to hit the fan.

"So, Edward," she began, her eyes on me. I sighed silently. I was so not in the mood to deal with a damned groupie wannabe. "What's your favorite position?" My brother's head snapped up and he looked pissed. I just gave her what I hope was my bored look.

"I like singing, but sometimes I play around with the acoustic guitar," I said, purposely misunderstanding her question. Jasper coughed and took his drink from the waitress who'd just reappeared.

"No, that's not what I –"

"He's trying to be nice and give you your dignity, even though you asked a really intrusive personal question," Emmett snapped, his face red. "Take a hint."

"Well if you didn't want me here, you shouldn't have invited me," she snapped back. "Besides, I'm sure he's been asked way more outrageous stuff than that!"

"I didn't invite you, _Jake_ did!" Irina looked at Jake, who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Jake, you told me that he wanted to ask me out!"

"What do you even care that I didn't want to go out with you? Clearly you're only here for Edward." I turned away, looking towards the stage. Some interesting instruments were up there – not stuff I would have ever expected to see in the Den. I saw trumpets, saxophones, trombones, a piano – there were even violins up there! What the fuck kind of singer was this chick? "And by the way, in case you hadn't noticed, he's not interested."

"He hasn't told _me_ that," she protested.

"The way he's actively ignoring you ought to be a big flashing light," Emmett said. Irina's face hardened as she realized that he was right. She stood up, and Jake and Kate scrambled to move and let her out.

"Go fuck yourself!" She yelled, stomping off. Jake turned incredulous eyes to Emmett, who frowned.

"I told you on Saturday that I didn't want to be set up anymore. I even offered to call her myself to let her down easy, but you said you'd handle it. What the hell, man? I don't want Rose to see me here with another girl and think I'm dicking around on her."

This was news to me.

"Rose is Alice's blonde friend, right?" I asked, finally turning to look at him. He nodded.

"She said she'd go out with me. I don't want to screw it up before it happens, man." I stared at him, and he shrugged. "I think she might be my one."

Oh, Jesus.

Before I had a chance to respond to that, the waitress arrived with our food. Jasper cleared his throat as he cut into his steak.

"So, Kate," he began. Emmett frowned, and I shot Jasper a questioning look. "Are you a student?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling broadly.

"Where at?"

"Saint Cecilia's." Emmett and I both choked on our mouthfuls of food, and Jake's face turned red.

"You're in high school?" He asked incredulously. She frowned and nodded. "Why didn't you mention that?"

"You never asked," she said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Jake's head dropped to the table with a thud. "But I'm eighteen, if that helps. I graduate at the end of this year."

"Ladies and gentlemen." The lights dimmed, and I turned my attention to the stage. Dennis was standing in front of a closed velvet curtain with a spotlight on him. Jesus, Alice didn't half ass things, did she? "I'd like to thank you all for coming out tonight. You're all in for a real treat. And now, without further ado, I'm pleased to introduce Bella Swan."

I swear to god, my heart jumped up into my throat. I turned and glanced at Jasper, who smirked at me and shrugged before turning his attention back to the stage. Bella was the singer that everyone kept raving about? What the fuck? Jasper knew how I got around chicks who could sing, and I knew she was beautiful already, so normally she would've been a _guaranteed_ fuck – but I couldn't now. Bastard.

I turned back to the stage, only to be confronted with the sight of Bella in fuck-me heels and what looked like a flapper-style dress. It was red, and behind her, stationed at microphones, Rose and Alice wore the same dress in white. Bella's fucking angelic mouth had been painted a deep red, and she wore a sparkling red headband across her forehead. Her mahogany hair fell in waves around her face and down her shoulders. I felt my mouth go dry, and I realized something with a sudden startling clarity.

I did not give a fuck what Jasper would do to me. I had to have this girl.

I snapped out of it just long enough to notice that there were probably close to thirty musicians on stage with nearly as many instruments. I found myself no longer desiring the beer that I had ordered, and I knew without a doubt that I was not going to get drunk – not by a long shot.

She closed her eyes and it looked like she was taking a deep breath, and suddenly the music started. Aw, hell. Big band music was some of my favorite, and everyone who knew me knew that I was a sucker for _good_ jazz, which was hard to find live anymore, since there wasn't too much of an audience for it around our area. I was immediately pulled in by the instruments alone.

What I didn't expect, and what changed the whole fucking game, came when she opened her mouth.

_Love's like fishing in the ocean_

_Starve for days to catch a break_

_Waiting in that boat alone_

_The fish know something you don't_

_They told me there aren't many of us down here_

_All the good ones have been hooked_

_But I threw back the finest one, _

_Now I'm the one who's been cooked_

_ ._ Her voice was sex, pure and simple. Smooth, rich, and soulful, she owned me from the first note. There was no fucking way that Jasper was going to keep me away from her now. After that first verse, she seemed to lose a little of her stiffness, and she starting moving with the music. She shimmied her hips and shook her shoulders a little, and I was so fucking gone that it wasn't even funny. The first song ended and moved into another upbeat song, and yet another after that. My food sat on the table, totally forgotten.

After the third song, she stopped and took a drink of water from a bottle that was behind her, and she sat down on a stool. She turned and grinned at the musicians before nodding at Alice, who stepped forward.

"We'd like to thank you all for coming out tonight to hear Bella sing. She's a little shy when she's not singing, so I hope you guys will forgive me for doing all of the talking." Bella's cheeks turned adorably pink, and there was a smattering of laughter from the crowd. Alice grinned. "If you'd like to see Bella come back and sing again, please be sure to let the management here know. There are a few CDs for sale up at the bar, but we have a limited quantity, so be sure you get one before you go. Thanks again for coming out, and enjoy the rest of the show!"

I turned to Jasper, and he grinned at me. "Don't worry, man. I saved one for you. I told Alice you'd want one." I felt my eyebrows rise, but said nothing, and turned back to the stage. So _this_ was what Alice had meant when she'd promised me that Bella was going to be here? Not that I minded, but this hadn't been exactly what I'd pictured.

Bella reached over and picked up an acoustic guitar. _Motherfucker. _If this girl could actually play the damned thing, I was in so much trouble. I listened as she began strumming, and then she closed her eyes and poured her soul into the song.

_My purple heart, all red and blue_

_Still lingers on the thought of you_

_Though it's just a little stain, I was hoping it would fade _

_By now_

_Though it's over done and said, it's heavier than lead_

_Somehow_

Not only did I want to fuck her brains out, I wanted that incredible mouth on every inch of me. I wanted to kiss her so badly that it felt like a physical ache. I wanted to _talk_ to the girl, and ask why big band music? Why jazz? Though the answer to both of my questions was obvious – she was fucking _amazing_ at it. I wondered if she ever sang anything else, and if she'd let me listen to her, if she did. And dear god in heaven, when the tears started rolling down her face in the middle of the song, I wanted to be the one to wipe them away. I'd fucking lick them off, if she wanted me to. I'd never seen someone who was so affected by their music.

The song ended, and I couldn't help myself. I stood and began clapping. Everyone at my table stood along with me, and pretty soon the entire place was on their feet. Bella wiped the tears away quickly and smiled, and when she bit down on that bottom lip, I felt myself getting hard. I sat back down quickly and took a long drink of my beer. The next three songs were faster, and then another slow song – and the slow song made me wonder who'd broken her heart. Whoever it was, he was an ass, and stupid, too. What guy would ever fuck over someone like her?

"Again, we'd like to thank you all for coming out," Alice said, smiling from ear to ear. "This is the last song, so enjoy – and remember, if you liked what you heard, please let us know!"

I watched Bella move the mic stand out of the way, and I wondered what was going on. She hadn't really moved too far away from the center of the stage all night, so my curiosity was piqued. A twangy guitar and a dirty piano started, and she winked at the piano player before beginning.

_I am a ragdoll, limp in this bed__  
><em>_A little worn out from the fun that we had_

Oh, hell. Damn it, shit, motherfuck… she was sashaying around the stage, flipping her hair as she turned. When she took her first step down from the stage, I knew that I was well and truly fucked.

_But nothing's broken, just feeling open_

_It's not like I'm thinking 'bout my wedding day_

She was sort of dance-stepping in between the tables as she sang, occasionally stopping to wink or smile at someone that she passed.

_It's not the kind of thing you tell to the world_

_But still, it's sweet to be your bad little girl_

I was fucking sweating. This was the hottest fucking thing I'd ever heard, and the visual was only agitating my hard-on, which felt like a titanium rod in my jeans at this point.

_I'm kinda groovin' on what you're doing_

_So squeeze me like the one you love_

She turned and rotated her hips in a smooth circle, pushing her ass out a little as she did. She was still near the front of the room at this point, and I prayed that she would have enough song to make it to the back of the room where I was.

_Damn! You have put some spell on me_

_You gotta love a woman who'll just do as you please_

I tugged at the collar of my shirt, suddenly feeling short of air. What in the hell had made anyone think this was a good idea? I looked around and felt a little sick, because all of the men in the room wore facial expressions that matched my earlier thoughts of fucking her brains out.

_So rip out my heart, throw me down like you do_

_Stay with me, play with me, don't ever take love away from me_

_And I'll baby you_

_I'll be your baby, too_

Bella leaned over and grabbed some lucky fucker's tie, and let it slip through her fingers as she sauntered away. There were no women at that particular table, and the guys he was sitting with let loose with some whistles. Apparently guys all over the room took that as an invitation, and the whistles started up.

_I love the way you love to fondle my hair_

_And drive me crazy with your hands everywhere_

She ran a hand down her side. She hadn't touched anywhere particularly intimate, but the way the heat flared in my stomach made it feel like she had.

_I swear I'll keep it our little secret_

_Our own little bedtime story_

She held her finger over her lips when she sang the word secret, and then trailed her fingers across the shoulder of a man she was passing. He looked like he might faint. I felt sorry for him, because I totally understood. She was in the middle of the room now, and I could hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears.

_Damn! You have put some spell on me_

_You gotta love a woman who'll just do as you please_

_So rip out my heart, throw me around like you do_

_Stay with me, play with me, don't ever take love away from me_

_Let me baby you_

She spun around and somehow managed to avoid a man who'd reached out and tried to grope her. I saw red. I wanted to kill that fucker for even _thinking_ he could lay a hand on her. Why did I feel so possessive of her? We'd never even spoken, for fuck's sake.

_I am a rag doll_

She shimmied, and Rose and Alice sang their backup from on stage, though they both wore what could only be described as shit-eating grins.

_Oo_

_Yeah_

_I'll let you put your pins in me_

_Oh whoa_

_Oh whoa_

_Ooo_

For someone who was supposedly so goddamned shy that she couldn't speak into a microphone, she was doing a hell of a job seducing every man in the building without even touching them.

_So take advantage of me, like I do you_

_You make me oo oo with that thing that you do_

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, she was right next to our table. I just about lost my mind when she lowered herself in Jasper's lap and laid an arm across his shoulders. I was right there – I could touch her if I could just make myself move. She didn't even glance at the rest of the table, and just sang to him. I heard several groans from the crowd – sounded like Jasper was the envy of the room right now.

_So hold me, hug me, baby, give me your all_

_I promise I'll be a good little doll_

_Damn! You have put some spell on me_

_I kinda like the way that you ooo wee_

She leaned back and wiggled a little before getting out of his lap and blowing him a kiss, which made him grin like a motherfucker. That cocksucker had a girlfriend – a girlfriend who was on stage, able to see everything. Why had Bella picked _him_? She turned and began making her way back towards the stage, and I had to fight back a groan. Her hips swayed tantalizingly back and forth as she moved.

_Raggedy Ann, what you want me to do?_

_I'll stay with you, play with you, won't ever take love away from you_

_Damn!_

_Gotta love a woman who knows what she needs_

_So rip out my heart, throw me down like you do_

_Stay with me, play with me, don't ever take love away from me_

_Let me baby you_

_I'll be your baby, too_

_You_

_Yeah_

She was back in the middle of the stage, smiling out at the audience. Fuck yeah, this girl _had_ to know what she was doing.

_I am a ragdoll_

The room erupted in cheers and whistles. Her face immediately turned red, and she bit down on her bottom lip again before smiling and bowing. People were standing up, and the sound of the applause was nothing short of deafening. I stood there clapping and smiling like the jackass I was, and all I could think was that Jasper had tried to set me up with her before, and I'd turned him down every time. I was a fucking moron.

The curtain closed, and the house lights came back up. The noise changed from applause to boisterous conversation, and I turned to Jasper, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"This was really her first performance?" Emmett asked, before I could speak. Jasper nodded and took a swig of his beer.

"Alice has been on her to perform for years. She finally caved when Alice and Rose both ganged up on her."

"I want to meet her," I said, trying to keep my voice even.

"She should be out here with Ali after she changes," he said, nodding. "What did you guys think? I told you she was phenomenal, didn't I?"

I couldn't answer him, because all I could think about was kissing that fucking red lipstick off of her mouth.

Fifteen minutes passed, then twenty, and she hadn't appeared. After another ten minutes, Alice and Rose approached the table. Alice pretty much flung herself into Jasper's lap, and their kiss was long and made me feel almost like I was watching the beginning of a porno. Emmett stood and made Jake and Kate (who were making out – I guess the age thing didn't bother him enough to keep him from her) move so Rose could slide into the booth next to him.

"Where's Bella?" I asked, knowing that I sounded impatient. Alice broke away from Jasper long enough to focus on me.

"She left," she said, as though it should have been obvious.

"What? Why?"

"It's late and she has an exam first thing tomorrow morning. Besides, I wasn't kidding when I said she was shy. She's pretty good with crowds as long as she can't really see too much of them, but she's kind of terrified when it comes to one-on-one interaction with people she doesn't know."

"Can I have her number?" I asked. I could hear the desperation in my own voice, and it made me feel a little sick. Alice glanced sideways at Jasper, who only shrugged and grinned.

"I can give it to you, but I can't guarantee that she'll answer. Why do you want it? Are you going to ask her out, or something?" Or something, I thought, but didn't say.

"Write it down." I thrust a napkin at her, and she rolled her eyes, but began asking around for a pen. Once she'd written it down, she shoved it at me.

"There. Don't lose it. I'd try texting her first, since she's more likely to respond that way than if you call her from a weird number. Make sure you let her know that it's you, or she might not bother to reply. I _told_ her you were going to want to talk to her, but she didn't believe me."

"Jasper, you said you had a CD put aside for me?" I looked at him. My leg was bouncing like crazy. I wanted to get out of the bar and go find her. He nodded, and Alice got up.

"I'll go get it," she volunteered, leaving the table.

"Dude, whatever you do, just don't jerk off to it." My head whipped around and I stared at Jake.

"What the fuck did you just say to me, asshole?" His eyes widened a little. Good, he _should_ be afraid of me right now.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I was just joking."

I blinked when a CD was thrust in front of me. There was her fucking beautiful self, right on the cover. Her hair was parted on the side but still fell in gentle waves. She was wearing another pair of fuck-me heels, a tight black sweater, a yellow skirt, and – fuck me – were those fishnets? I bit back a groan.

"How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house," Alice said, sitting back down on Jasper's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Consider it a gift from me to you. I have a feeling that I'm going to get my money's worth."

I ignored her comment and turned the disc over. "Did you guys record this in a studio?"

"We used the chapel on campus," she said.

"How did you get all of these people to play for you tonight?"

"They played for Bella, not me," she objected quickly. "They did it as a favor to her. She's in a couple of music classes, and she's got a _lot_ of friends in the music department. Her advisor is actually one of the choir teachers on campus, and that helped in drumming up interest. Everyone who played tonight got some kind of extra credit in one class or another."

"Are all the songs she sang tonight on here?" I held the CD up. She nodded.

"And two more."

"So how does this break down? You guys got a ton of people to come together and record this – an entire album's worth of music – and then what?"

"Bella, Rose, and I had a CD burning party. We stayed up almost an entire weekend, burning the discs and putting everything together. Rose even took the picture on the cover."

"Shit. This is a lot of work just to play a bar scene. I hope you sent copies of this to major record labels."

"I did, but she doesn't know that," Alice admitted, sounding as guilty as she looked.

"Okay, guys. It's been real, but I need to go see about a girl," I said, standing. There were a few chuckles, but I left before anyone could protest that I needed to stay and drink. I caught a cab outside the Den and was back at my apartment in less than thirty minutes. Once I got there, I pulled the napkin with Bella's number out of my pocket and punched it into my phone, saving it under the name _Beautiful_. I'm not ashamed to admit that my hands were trembling a little as I typed my message.

_Hi Bella. I hope you don't mind, but Alice gave me your number. This is Edward Cullen. I was hoping to get to meet you after the show, but you ran off! You did a great job tonight._

I pressed send and waited. And waited. And waited some more. After almost an hour with no reply, I stopped pacing and put her CD on. As soon as the music began, I heard the notification beep from my phone, and I dove onto my bed for it.

_How do I know that you're really who you say you are?_

I laughed. What could I say that would convince her it was me? I had to think about this for a second.

_I was sitting next to Jasper tonight when you sat on his lap. Didn't you see me? _I didn't know if that would convince her or not, but it was worth a try.

_That doesn't prove that this is Edward Cullen. You could just be a stalker creep who was at the show._ I laughed so hard that I shook the bed.

_I can't think of anything else to say to convince you. Information about me is pretty public, so anything I could tell you, you could probably find out via Google._ At least I was being honest with her. _Does Alice give your number out to just anyone who asks for it?_

_Are you saying that you asked for my number?_

_I did. I was hoping to get to meet you after the show, but it seems like you have a habit of bolting after concerts._

_What is that supposed to mean?_

_It means that you bolted after our last concert, and tonight you took off after yours._ I thought for a second. _Would it help if I snap a photo of myself right now and send it to you?_

_How will I know it's not just a photo you've downloaded or taken at a concert or something? _ Jesus, she was skeptical. It was actually kind of funny. I pulled my wallet out and took out my driver's license. I held it up next to my face and snapped a picture, and then sent it off to her.

_Okay, I believe it's you now. Thanks for the picture. It's good to know that you look annoyingly perfect even in your license photo, when the rest of us look like we've just lost a fight with a cat or something. _I laughed again as I slid my license back into my wallet.

_So you really think I did okay tonight?_ Was she fishing for compliments, or was she actually looking for reassurance? Surely it wasn't possible that she didn't know how amazingly talented she was… was it?

_I think you were incredible. Wanna do a duet sometime? ;) _

_The last time I looked, you were a rock singer, not jazz._

_Ouch, Bella. You could've just said no._

_I didn't mean to say yes or no, I was just making an observation. There's nothing I'd love more than to sing with you. _I was glad she couldn't see me and the ridiculous fist pump I'd just done. Fuck yeah! She wanted to sing with me!

_You should come to our next rehearsal and we can try then._

_When is it?_

_Tomorrow night at Jasper's place._

_I can't, I have to work. Sorry._

_Where do you work?_

_I'd rather not say. The last time that I told someone where I worked, they showed up unannounced._ Well, hell. That's exactly what I'd planned on doing. It pissed me off that someone else had done it. I hoped it wasn't a guy.

_What about Saturday afternoon? We could have lunch together or something._ When she didn't answer immediately, I frowned. She was probably wondering why I hadn't asked for Friday night, but I already had my plans with the Duchess. Besides, I already knew that Bella came to all of our shows.

_I guess that would be okay._

_Great. I won't keep you up any longer, since I know you have a test in the morning. Good luck._

_Thanks._

I put my phone on my night stand and grinned. My smile faltered momentarily when I thought of the Duchess. I had never had such an intense pull towards two girls at the same time before, and it was a little unnerving. I was looking forward to talking to both of them, but I honestly had no fucking idea what I was going to do if I wound up being equally attracted to both. I guess I'd just have to cross that bridge when I came to it. In the meantime, I laid back, closed my eyes, and let Bella Swan sing me to sleep.

_**Songs in this chapter are "He Got Away," "Purple Heart," and "Ragdoll" – all by Lucy Woodward**_


	5. To Be With You

**Bella's POV**

I was still reeling.

It was Thursday, the day after my performance, and I was still blown away. I wasn't sure that this feeling would leave me anytime soon, either. Everywhere I went on campus, someone noticed me and congratulated me on a great show. One guy had even bought my CD and had it with him – when he produced a pen and asked me to sign the cover, I'd blushed and stammered my thanks. Was this what Edward's band felt like all the time? I knew that they all went to school here, and I'd witnessed Jasper get stopped a few times, but I could imagine that it was a more frequent occurrence with Edward.

When I stopped by my advisor's office, I wasn't surprised to find her glowing. She had nothing but kind words and praise for me, which made me happy, but it still wasn't what had me walking around in a dreamy state.

Edward Cullen had been texting me off and on since the show last night. He'd really confused me when he'd asked me out to lunch on Saturday afternoon, since we already had plans for Friday night. The only thing I could think of was that he didn't realize that I was actually the Duchess – though how he hadn't connected my voice last night with the one on the radio was beyond me. it didn't make for a positive idea of him, though, if he didn't know that that was me, because it meant that he had made dates with two different girls in as many days. I wondered what would happen Friday night when I showed up backstage.

Before I could think too much more about it, my phone buzzed again. I was walking through the quad, so I stopped and found an empty bench before pulling out my phone and looking at it. It was Edward – again. I'd almost be worried about how often he had texted me today, if I wasn't enjoying the attention. It was funny how last night he'd almost sounded tentative, but today his texts had totally changed tone, and if anyone who didn't know us had seen them, it would look like we were old friends.

_Stuck in a boring-ass class right now, counting down seconds until it's over. Are you doing something fun?_

_I'm outside. Looks like rain._

_We're not going to talk about the weather, are we? I think I'd shoot myself in the face if we did._

_Don't do that, you're too pretty. Fangirls everywhere would mourn._

_Not really helping. Guys don't like to be called pretty, Bella._ I caught my tongue gently between my teeth as I snickered. I wasn't entirely sure that he appreciated my brand of humor, but he was still talking to me, so that at least was saying something.

_Well, I tell Jasper he's pretty all the time, and he doesn't seem to mind._

_Jasper might be gay, too. _

_He's not gay, he's practically married to Alice._

_The jury's still out on that one. She might be his beard. _I snorted and covered my mouth with my hand, glancing around to make sure that no one was paying attention to me.

_I've stayed the night at their place before. Trust me when I say that I've heard enough to know that he's definitely not gay._

_Way more than I needed to know. I think I'm gonna be sick now._

_Hey, you asked for it._

_Let's move on to more interesting topics that are less likely to make my breakfast make an appearance in class._

_Like what?_

_Like you. What kind of music do you listen to?_

_Smooth, Cullen. _

_What?_

_You know I'm a fan of your band. Is this you trying to get me to stroke your ego and tell you that I listen to you guys?_

_Okay, other than Eclipsed, what do you listen to? _ I bit my lip and thought for a moment. I had to wonder about his motivation for getting to know me. I'd be a liar if I said that it didn't excite me, but I was wary, too. It was one thing to be talking to him just for fun, but I wasn't sure because I didn't understand why he was suddenly talking to me. He'd had plenty of opportunities before now.

_I like a lot of different stuff. _

_Don't make me beg. What kind of stuff? What is your favorite album right now?_

_I've got Talking Book on repeat._

_Hell yeah! That's one of my favorites, too._

_What about you? What album are you listening to right now?_

_Honestly? Yours. _My heart stopped. Was this some kind of angle that he was going to use with me now? Was he talking music to me just so he could get into my pants? He had to know that music was an incredibly large part of my life. Had Jasper told him that he could get me to go out with him this way, or something? I frowned. No, I'd already agreed to have lunch with him before this. I sighed. It had been too long since I'd had a relationship, clearly – it felt like I was intent on assuming that any guy who spoke to me now was just trying to get laid, especially after last night. I'd never gotten so much attention from guys before. It was fun, but it was also kind of scary for someone like me, who was used to flying under the radar. It was also a little overwhelming that Edward Cullen was paying so much attention to me, especially since I'd been such a big fan of his for so long.

_I was expecting something better,_ I said, completely honest.

_There isn't much better than that. Seriously, do you not know how good you are? And when was the last time you heard a decent jazz album?_

_Thanks. _That had honestly surprised me enough to stop the flow of conversation. It was too bad, because I'd been enjoying myself. _I have to go. Going to grab lunch before my next class. Go pay attention!_

_It might happen, but I doubt it._

I put my phone back in my pocket and went off in search of lunch at the Union. After I'd sat down with my food, I was surprised when someone sat down at my table.

"Hey. Bella, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm-"

"I know who you are, Emmett. I've been to your shows." His grin was so wide that I could see the deep dimples in both cheeks. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Is it okay if I sit with you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"You killed it last night," he said, reaching for his burger. "You know you've got my brother in kind of a tailspin."

"What?" Was he here just to talk Edward up to me?

"You should've seen him last night when you didn't show after your set. He was beside himself."

"Okay," I said slowly. He must have sensed my unease, because he grinned at me.

"Don't worry, I'm not here for him or anything. I just thought it was funny, and I thought you should know. I don't see him like that a lot, so I have to take my shots when I can get 'em. You're friends with Rose, right?" I relaxed a little bit.

"Yeah, she's one of my best friends. You guys are going out Saturday, right?"

"Hell, yes! I can't wait."

"Can I ask what you have planned?"

"I'm taking her to a park. There's a ton of swings and a lake, and I thought we could take some food with us." I blinked in surprise.

"You're taking her to a playground?" I clarified.

"Yeah," he said, looking up at me. Whatever he saw on my face must have given him pause. "Is that not a good idea? I thought chicks loved playgrounds and picnics."

"No! I mean, yeah, it's a great idea. She'll love it." His smile was back full force, and he bit into his burger again. "Can I ask you something kind of personal?" His smile faltered for a moment, but he nodded. I bit my lip, wondering how to phrase my question. "What's Edward's deal?"

"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

"I've been following your band for years. I've been playing your songs on the radio. I've had classes with him and passed him on campus before, and he's never paid any attention to me, not until last night. What's going on? Does he just want to bone me, or what?" Emmett almost choked on his mouthful. He cleared his throat and took a drink, and then his eyes focused on my face like lasers.

"Wait – what did you say?"

"I asked if he-"

"No," he interrupted, shaking his head and waving an impatient hand in the air. "The part before that, about the radio. What did you say?" I frowned.

"I've been playing your songs on the radio?" I repeated. It was his turn to frown.

"You're a DJ?"

"Only in the loosest sense of the word," I said, shrugging. "I do a show on the school's station." His face lit up.

"Let me guess – Saturday mornings?"

"Uh, yeah. Didn't Jasper tell you?"

"Jasper knows? Oh, God – please. Please make my life and tell me that you're who I think you are."

"Why is this exciting?" I wondered nervously.

"Are you the Duchess?" When I nodded, he pumped his fists in the air and hooted. "Jesus mofo Christ, this is the best news I've heard since Rose said she'd go out with me!"

"What? Why? Are you going to tell me why you're making everyone stare?"

"You're the Duchess." His grin looked like it might split his face in two, and I couldn't help but smile back, even though I didn't know why he was smiling like that.

"We've already established that."

"I'm a big fan of your show. I listen every week."

"Okay," I said slowly, shaking my head. "Is your entire family this weird all the time?"

"Yeah, but you get used to it." I laughed, and he polished off his burger. "Are you coming to the show tomorrow night?"

"Yeah." I fidgeted in my seat a little, and his eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"I'm sort of hanging out with Edward after the show."

"Define 'hanging out.'"

"He called Saturday and asked me if I would meet him backstage after the show, and maybe we could go get dinner." Emmett frowned and narrowed his eyes a little bit.

"I thought he just got your number last night after the show."

"He did."

"Then how-"

"He called in to my show Saturday and asked me."

"He asked the Duchess out?"

"Yeah."

"Did you tell him your name?" I fidgeted again, and his eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline.

"Well, we sort of skipped that part."

"Wait, wait," he said, holding his hands up. "Let me make sure I understand this. My brother asked you out on Saturday and didn't ask you your name. Then he got your number from Alice last night and started talking to you that way?"

"He texted me last night and asked me to lunch on Saturday." Emmett stared at me.

"Did you tell him at any point between last night and today that you were the same chick he asked out for tomorrow night?"

"No. I mean, I thought maybe he knew who I was, but I'm guessing he doesn't, or he wouldn't have asked me out twice in two days. Should I be worried? I mean, does he do this a lot – have dates with multiple women in the same week?"

"No, I can tell you that this is absolutely _not_ something he normally does. He tends to avoid women like the plague, especially if they're fans of the band." I felt myself frown.

"Then why-"

"Don't question it. Just do me a favor and don't tell him that you're the Duchess before tomorrow night. I want to see his face when he sees that it's you."

"Uh…"

"Bella, please. I'll do anything you want, just please don't tell him before then."

"Um, I guess?" I was surprised when he jumped up and wrapped me in a tight hug.

"I have to run, but I have a feeling that we'll be hanging out a lot more. Thanks for letting me have lunch with you, Bells." He was gone before I realized he'd called me by the nickname my dad used.

Friday dawned, and with it came such nerves that I thought I might throw up. From the moment I woke up that morning, there was a roiling in my gut that made me question whether or not I even wanted to go to the show tonight. On the one hand, it would really suck to miss one of the band's shows, since I'd been to all of the local ones, but on the other hand – I was really, _really_ freaked out about spending time alone with Edward. Would he be upset when he found out that I was the Duchess? I had no clue, but just thinking about it was making me sick.

When Alice and Rose showed up at my door around dinner time, I was in full freak-out mode.

"Sweetie, you really need to calm down," Alice said, sighing loudly. Rose was in the middle of trying to decide what to do with my hair, and I felt like I was going to hyperventilate.

"Just fuck him and get it over with," Rose said, shrugging. Alice and I both turned to give her incredulous looks. "What? We all know you're half in love with him already. You've got _posters_ of the band in your room, for god's sake. You want him, and thanks to your performance, now he wants you."

"He wanted her before that," Alice piped up, turning to rifle through her makeup bag. "He asked about her last Friday after the show. Don't forget that he's a fan of her radio show, too."

"Yeah, that's kind of what's making me nervous," I admitted, closing my eyes. "He doesn't exactly know that I'm the Duchess."

"What? How the hell could he not know?" Rose sounded disbelieving.

"He called in to the show last week and asked me to hang out tonight after the show, but he never asked me my name, and I never volunteered it. Since Wednesday he's been texting me, and it never got brought up."

"Why didn't you just tell him?" Alice wondered.

"Fuck that, why is he asking out two different girls in two days?" Rose asked. I nodded and opened my eyes, jabbing a finger in her direction.

"See, _that_," I said. "That is what I wondered, too. Emmett told me that it wasn't something that Edward did all the time, but it still scares me."

"Why didn't he ask your name?" Alice murmured, more to herself than to us.

"Fuck him and dump him," Rose suggested. "It sounds like that's all he wants, anyway."

"Rose!" Alice gasped, scandalized. "Don't listen to her, Bella. If his own brother told you that he doesn't do this all the time, then I believe him. I'm not saying don't sleep with him, but maybe you should wait and pass judgment after he realizes that you and the Duchess are the same person."

"While you're deciding what you want to do, we're going to make you look utterly irresistible." Rose grinned and reached for the outfit that she and Alice had chosen for me.

"The jeans are fine, but I can't wear that shirt. I can't pull that off. My chest is too small, and my stomach isn't flat enough." Rose rolled her eyes.

"Bitch, please. Your boobs are going to look magnificent in this shirt." I eyed it again. It used to be one of my favorite t-shirts, until Alice had taken scissors to it a la Ed Hardy. Now it was cut so that there were no sleeves, the front had a deep v-neck, and the rest of it was literally tied together in the front so that my cleavage, the front of my bra (which was a red lacy push-up number, thanks to Alice), and my belly would show through the gaps.

"Bella, relax, please. You are so beautiful, and you're going to be fine tonight. Edward wants you, and you want him. You're both consenting adults, so if you decide you just want to have sex, that's okay. If you decide you want to try for more, that's okay, too. If you want sex _and_ more, go for it! Just do what feels right for you, and try not to stress so much about it. What's meant to be will be."

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"I have to admit that I've wondered if he's a good kisser." Alice squealed and clapped her hands together, and Rose laughed.

"Okay, go get dressed, and then we'll work on your hair and makeup."

I changed into the clothes, surprised that I actually did like the shirt once it was on, though I wasn't totally at ease in it. It was definitely designed to attract attention, which I wasn't sure I wanted to do – at least, no one's attention other than Edward's. I sat in my desk chair and let Rose push, pull, prod, iron, curl, and God only knows what else, until she felt like she'd gotten my hair just the way it should be. Alice jumped in next, working on my face with what felt like everything that was in her enormous makeup bag.

"Are you ready for this?" Alice asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Rose was grinning broadly. I nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Alice led me to the mirror, and I felt my jaw drop. My eyes had thin black wings on the corners, and gold eye shadow glittered every time I moved my head. The gold was a subtle enough color that it would probably look like I had no eye shadow on at all in the dark, just glitter. Somehow it didn't look like much, but it definitely made my eyes pop. I felt like it enhanced my eyes, which happened to be my favorite feature. My lips were the same deep red color that she'd used on me for Wednesday night, and my blush was either nonexistent or minimal, at best.

Rose had done wonders with my hair, too. I lifted a hand and stroked it, feeling how soft and silky she'd made it with whatever products she'd used. It _looked_ like it felt, which was a miracle in itself. It was parted on the side of my head and fell in gentle curls all around my face and shoulders. I couldn't help staring at myself. I'd never thought of myself as ugly, but I'd definitely called myself plain and normal before. The girl staring back at me in the mirror was neither plain nor normal looking – she was an absolute knockout.

"I look good," I admitted. They both hugged me at the same time.

"Hell, yeah, you do!" Rose confirmed.

"He's not going to know what hit him," Alice said, pulling out her phone. "I demand that we take a group photo, so we can remember this forever." She snapped the picture, and we all laughed.

We piled out of my dorm and into Alice's car, and I realized as she drove that for the first time all day, my nerves were all but gone. It was amazing what a makeover could do for my confidence. Once we were inside the bar, Rose went and ordered our usual drinks, and brought my beer to me. The show was supposed to start in about ten minutes, so we had a few minutes to just talk. We'd been standing there for all of two minutes when it started.

The first guy who approached us said hello and offered to buy us a round of drinks. When we refused, he turned his attention to me and asked if I wanted to dance. I glanced at Rose and Alice, who were both biting back smiles, and politely told him no, thank you.

The second and third guys who approached us came together, and brought open bottles of the brand of beer I was already drinking. They offered the drinks to us, but I was a cop's daughter and I knew better than to take a drink that was already open. When we turned them down, they were visibly upset, but they walked away without too much protest.

The fourth guy who approached came up to us right as the lights were going down, and apparently he'd taken that as an invitation to reach out and touch. The moment that he grabbed her ass, Rose rounded on him, and the slap cracked across his cheek, sounding like thunder. He all but ran away from us after that.

Eclipsed came out on the stage, and as always, from the moment the music started, I felt transported into another place. I closed my eyes and moved to the music, feeling like I was in my happy place. I had a cold beer in my hand, my best friends by my side, and my favorite band was on stage. It didn't get too much better than this. When they started playing what I knew was Alice's favorite song, I opened my eyes. I smiled at her, and she turned her goo-goo eyes towards Jasper. It was her favorite song because he had written it about her. Even though I knew it was technically her song, it never stopped me from imagining that Edward was singing it to me.

_Make me feel again_

_Slide across my skin again_

_Let me uncover you, to rediscover you_

_And I will open up_

_If you promise to give in_

_On this perfect night_

_Let the two of us be one_

_We will be again, another time_

_No matter what all the others say_

'_Cause I would leave it all so far behind_

_Just to be with you today_

_So make me feel again_

_Feel your every breath again_

_Nevermind everyone_

_There's only me and you_

_We will be again, another time_

_No matter what all the others say_

'_Cause I would leave it all so far behind_

_Just to be with you today_

_Just to be with you today_

_Just to be with you today_

_Just to be with you_

_We will be again, another time_

_And I will do all I need to do_

_To leave the others all so far behind_

_Just so I can be_

_Just so I can be_

_With you_

_With you_

_With you_

_With you_

Edward was in fine form tonight. He looked even better to me tonight than he had last week, and that was saying something. The thought did cross my mind that maybe he'd dressed up because he'd known he was going to meet me, but I wasn't sure. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt that was tucked into the front of his jeans to show off his silver belt buckle, but it was loose everywhere else. His jeans hung at just the right spot on his hips, and he wore his black boots like always. I almost had to laugh at that, because other than my performance on Wednesday, I always wore my burgundy Doc Martens. Alice teased me all the time, but I loved them. Yeah, my footwear matched my radio show's format, but I didn't really care. They were comfortable and durable, and I thought they looked cool, so it was always the one thing I would fight her on when she tried to dress me up. Both she and Rose had given up on trying to get me to wear something else. They knew better.

I kept waiting for Edward to notice me like he had at the last concert, but he never looked in our direction. I was a little disappointed, but I was also kind of glad, because I wanted to see what he'd do when he saw me after the show.

When they finally said goodnight and left the stage, the nerves reappeared, though in much less force than I'd felt them this morning. I made my way over to Dennis and tapped him on the shoulder. His face brightened when he saw me, which made me happy.

"Well, if it isn't my songbird," he said. I couldn't help the nervous giggle that escaped. "What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

"Um, Edward told me to let you know that he was expecting me backstage tonight. He may have mentioned my radio name, The Duchess?" His eyes widened, and he nodded.

"That's you? Sure, sure. Go ahead and go on back. I'll let Demetri know you're coming through."

"Thanks, Dennis."

"Sure thing." I wove my way through the crowd that was still out on the floor, wrinkling my nose in distaste at the ones who bumped against me or wouldn't let me through easily. Once I got to the door that led to the backstage area, I saw the bouncer, Demetri. He grinned at me. We'd talked for a few minutes Wednesday night, and he'd seemed like a nice guy.

"Where's your zoot suit?" I teased. He laughed.

"At the dry cleaners – I hear I'm going to have use for it again soon." I blinked.

"What?"

"Aren't you playing another show next week?"

"Uh, if I am, I didn't know about it." He grinned.

"Your little friend is a force of nature. She's locked you in for at least two more shows this month. Dennis' profits were through the roof, and people have been calling at all hours, asking for tickets." My jaw dropped. Alice hadn't said anything to me about any of this.

"Seriously?"

"Is that why you get to meet them tonight?" he wondered, jabbing a thumb behind him. He turned to unlock the door and held it open.

"No, the band invited me," I explained. Well, it was sort of true – one band member had invited me, anyway.

"Have fun. I'm working Wednesday, so I'll see you then." I nodded and moved past him. My heart was starting to pound a little harder, and I took my time walking down the hallway. When I reached the green room, I paused and took a deep, steadying breath before opening the door and going inside.

The first thing I was aware of was Emmett sitting on the sofa, holding a beer. When he saw me, his grin lit up his face. He turned and looked to his right, and I followed his gaze. Jasper and Edward were standing, their heads bent towards each other, and speaking in low voices. Jasper was the first to look over, and his eyes widened. When Edward finally noticed that Jasper wasn't paying attention to him any more, he followed Jasper's gaze to see what he was looking at.

Edward's reaction was almost comical. His eyes almost bugged out of his head, and I could see his adam's apple bob as he swallowed. He moved toward me, and he stumbled a little. I bit down on my bottom lip to try and keep myself from laughing. He looked how I felt earlier.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, hi," I said stupidly, giving a small wave.

"What are you doing here?" I snuck glances at Emmett and Jasper, who were both grinning like Cheshire cats.

"You invited me."

"I did?" He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought we were having lunch tomorrow." His eyes finally took in what I was wearing, and I could see the redness creep up his neck and on to his face. "Holy fuck, you look amazing." It was my turn to blush.

"Thanks." He stared at me for a full minute before shaking his head a little.

"Wait – you said I invited you _tonight?_"

"Yeah. You called in to my show and asked me, remember?" I could see the exact moment when he made the connection and realized who I was, because his eyes became huge and his jaw dropped. His breathing went shallow.

"You-" He closed his mouth, swallowed again, and then took a deep breath. "_You're_ the Duchess?" I bit my lip and nodded. I heard Jasper and Emmett cracking up on the other side of the room, and I think I even heard the click of a camera.

"You really didn't know it was me?" I wondered. His eyes drifted down to my shirt, and then they snapped back up again when he shook his head.

"No, but you have no idea how fucking glad I am that you are." The laughter in the room got louder, and he turned to his band mates. "You assholes both knew who she was this whole time?" The boys were laughing so hard now that they were leaning on each other to keep from falling over. Edward's jaw clenched, and he turned back to me.

"Do you want to hang out some other time?" I wondered, tilting my head as I looked at him. He shook his head.

"No. Fuck, no. What I _would_ like to do is get away from these pricks. Eat with me? I think there's some things we should talk about." I nodded.

"Yeah."

"Let me grab my stuff and I'll be right back." I watched as he disappeared into the adjoining room, and then turned to Emmett and Jasper, my hands on my hips.

"Aw, hell, that was classic," Jasper declared.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Emmett laughed, slapping Jasper's back. Jasper winced, but he was still smiling.

"What's so funny?" I turned and saw the fourth band member, Jake, enter the room. When he saw me, he stopped dead in his tracks. I watched as his eyes dropped to the floor and slowly moved up until he was looking into my eyes. "Fuck me," he breathed. The laughter suddenly died, but Jake didn't seem to notice. He moved towards me.

"Fuck off, Jake," Edward said, his voice low and pissed off. "She's with me." Heat rolled through me at his words. He honestly had no idea how _with_ him I actually was – or how much I _wanted_ to be.

"What's your name?" Jake asked, ignoring Edward. I looked at Edward, whose eyes narrowed at Jake.

"Bella," I answered. His eyes widened a little.

"Wait – you're the chick we saw Wednesday night! You have a killer set of pipes."

"Thanks," I said, feeling a little uncomfortable at the way his eyes kept drifting down. Jake opened his mouth, but before he could say anything else, Edward reached for my hand. It almost felt like I'd touched a live wire, the electricity that ran up my arm was that strong.

"I told you, she's with me, Jake. Back the fuck off." He turned to me. "Are you ready to get out of here?" I nodded and let him lead me out the door.

_**The song in this chapter is "To Be With You" by Hoobastank.**_


	6. Caught In a Moment

**Edward's POV**

I was going to fuck shit up in a serious way if I didn't get to kiss this girl soon.

At the present moment, we were sitting across from each other in my favorite booth of the diner I always ate at after shows. It was done up like a diner from the 1950's, and the waitresses even wore roller skates. It was torture to sit here and stare at her for several reasons. First, I knew that she was at least a little into me, because she liked the band and had agreed to two dates with me already. Second, she was wearing a t-shirt that was a little bit of nothing with a mangled Stones logo on it. Third, her lips were painted that same deep red that they'd been on Wednesday night. Fourth, all I could think about was the way that she'd slinked around the room during her final song Wednesday. There were many other reasons, but she was _so_ close...

"What's good here?" Bella asked, her eyes moving over the menu.

"Everything. I can't believe you've never been here before." She looked up at me and smiled, and my heart skipped a beat. I felt like a fucking school boy with his first crush.

"I don't go out a whole lot," she said, her eyes going back to her menu. The waitress came to our table, and we both ordered cheeseburgers and fries.

"So you're the Duchess," I said, enjoying the way that she blushed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask," she shot back.

"I must really look like an ass to you." She tilted her head to the left and studied me for a moment before answering.

"Why do you think that?"

"I asked you out for tonight, and then asked you out again for lunch tomorrow." I watched as she played with the salt shaker.

"Yeah, why _did_ you do that?"

"Honestly? I've been wanting to ask the Duchess out since the first time I heard her – _your_," I corrected myself. "Voice. I just never got up the courage to do it."

"Okay," she said, drawing the word out a little bit. She paused while the waitress reappeared and put our drinks on the table. "So you just asked two girls out, two days in a row?"

"I was really conflicted. I know it's not the best thing in the world to admit to, but I was attracted to both of you."

"Can we stop talking about me like there are two of me? It kind of makes me sound mentally ill." She wrinkled her nose a little, and I laughed.

"Are you upset with me?" She looked like she was thinking about it, and she played with her straw for a minute.

"No," she said finally. "Emmett told me that you don't do it all the time, and I believe him." I sat back and frowned.

"I can't believe that those assholes knew who you were this whole time and never said a goddamned thing to me."

"Would it have made a difference if they had?"

"Absolutely, it would have! I wouldn't have felt so fucking guilty. I thought I was asking out two different girls, and I felt like a dick."

"So is lunch tomorrow off?" She asked, smiling at me.

"Hell, no. You already agreed – you're not allowed to back out now." She smiled down into her coke, and I felt my answering smile. "So tell me something interesting about you."

"Define interesting," she shot back, still smiling.

"How about I tell you what I already know, and you can fill in the blanks?"

"Do we have that long?" She glanced down at the delicate gold watch on her wrist, and I laughed.

"We have as long as you want, Bella." Color flooded her cheeks, and my grin was starting to hurt my cheeks. I _really_ wanted to know what she was thinking that had caused that serious blush.

"Go ahead. Tell me what you know about me," she challenged.

"I know that you're a fan of Eclipsed." Bella shrugged and rolled her eyes a little.

"Everyone knows that."

"I know that you've got a hell of a voice." The pink rose in her cheeks, even though she shrugged. "Your best friends are Alice and Rose. I know that you're a DJ for the school's station, and that you have a penchant for 90's alternative rock."

"All of these are things that the general public knows about me," she said, trying to blow me off. I sighed.

"That's the point of this little game, Bella. I tell you how pitifully little I know about you, and you fill in the good stuff." She snorted.

"The _good_ stuff? What constitutes good stuff?"

"You know, favorite color, favorite food, favorite songs, stuff like that."

"Yellow, French fries, and there's way too many to name, in that order. Now what?" I laughed and shook my head.

"You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?"

"Anything worth having requires effort, Edward," she said, her eyes filled with laughter as she studied my face. "It's just a question of whether or not you decide that I'm worth the effort."

"Is there even a fucking question? Of course you're worth it." She eyed me for a moment.

"How do you know, if you don't even know me yet?" I stared at her for a minute. Was she serious? I already knew she had a thing for me – she had to, since she'd agreed to go out with me twice – right?

"Do you make every guy work this hard to get to know you?" I wondered aloud. For the third time in less than an hour, I saw her cheeks go pink.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm giving you a hard time. I'm a little lost here, actually. I love your music, and as a performer, you _know_ I like you. I just - I want you to like me for _me_ – if you get to like me, I mean – and not just as a pathetic little fan girl. I know I'm being hypocritical because my crush on you didn't start until after I saw you play for the first time, but even so, I _had_ noticed you on campus before, and please stop me before I completely humiliate myself," she said, dropping her head into her hands. I couldn't help the short laugh that escaped me, and she dropped her head to the table with a groan.

"So you have a crush on me?" I teased. Her head snapped up and she stared at me.

"_That's_ all you took from that?"

"It's all that's important," I said, shrugging. "It's fine. If we're being honest, I wouldn't want you if you were being easy and throwing yourself at me. I kind of despise those kind of girls. That's not to say that I haven't hooked up with them on occasion, but it never even occurred to me to pursue any kind of relationship with any of them. I get it, okay? You want to go slow and get to know each other." She sat up, and the smile she gave me took my breath away.

"Yes, exactly. If you want to, I mean."

"I want to." She bit down on her bottom lip, and I wanted to vault across the fucking table and do it myself. Jesus, was I the one who'd just said it was okay to go slow? Fuck that, I wanted fast – fast and hard, over and over, please and thank you. Before I could say anything else, the waitress showed up with our food. We spent the next half hour eating and exchanging banal chit chat about the food, the weather outside, and the renovations the university had made to the union over the summer. I say banal because I wanted her to talk to me about things that mattered, not the fucking unseasonal cold snap we were getting.

"So," I began, draining the last of my soda. I was determined to get our conversation back to more important things – like me and her. "Was there something wrong with our last show?" She raised her eyes slowly to mine.

"No," she said, sounding hesitant.

"Then why did you leave immediately after our last song?"

"Because I'm a coward, that's why." I felt my lips turn down.

"Why do you say that?"

"It looked like – I mean, I thought you were looking at me when-"

"I _was_ looking at you." Bright spots of color appeared on her cheeks, and she fidgeted in her seat a little bit.

"It was… unsettling."

"In a bad way?" I watched her face closely, and was relieved when she shook her head and her expression seemed genuine.

"No… it was just a lot to take in. I had my first performance coming up, and I was nervous about that, and then _that_ happened. I've been to every local show you guys have ever done, and I've never seen you sing directly at someone like that. It made me nervous." Yeah, it should have made her nervous… I don't think I'd ever laid it on so thick for a woman before.

"I scared you?" I clarified. She bit down on her lip a little before nodding, and her curls bounced a little.

"Yeah, but in a good way. I'm okay now."

"So if I did it again…?" Her eyes met mine, and her lips parted slightly. I heard her sharp intake of breath, and felt my pulse speed up at the sound. Jesus, what was it with me and this girl's mouth?

"I _probably_ wouldn't run away," she hedged. I laughed. The smile that crossed her face was relaxed, and that made me smile harder.

"Good to know that my music won't repel you anymore." I shook my head and grinned to myself. "So I'm pretty sure that earlier you agreed to a duet with me," I pointed out. Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"Our texts," I explained. I could see the moment that she remembered, and she opened and closed her mouth several times. She was saved momentarily when the waitress returned with our check, and I waved away her money as I stuck my debit card in the little black tray. "You _did_ say that there was nothing you'd love more, didn't you?" Fuck, it was so much fun to tease this girl. Her cheeks turned pink and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I did, but it was a lie. I can think of plenty I'd like to do more than that." _Jesus Christ._ Her words shot straight through my body, and I felt like I had a fever. The temperature in the room had definitely jumped up. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head. "No, I didn't mean – I mean, I kind of did, but not really-"

"Relax, Bella. I'm a guy, so I can spin almost anything you say into a reference to sex." She looked down at the table top, and then back up at me through hooded eyes. Oh, God. The earlier urge to jump across the table was back and stronger than ever. There was no way that this girl was _not_ getting kissed tonight.

"When you say sing… you mean at a rehearsal or something, right?"

"If that's all you're willing to give me, then I'll take it – for now. I won't lie, I'd love to do a song together at a show. Do you ever sing anything other than jazz or soul?"

"I've written a couple of pop/rock songs just to try my hand at it, but they didn't turn out so great."

"I have a hard time believing that. Can I see them?"

"What, now? I don't have them with me. I don't carry my music around with me all the time," she said, laughing. The waitress returned and handed me the receipt and my card.

"Wanna get out of here?" I asked. She nodded, and I stood and watched as she slid out of the booth. All the way out of the diner I kept my hand pressed to the small of her back. She didn't seem to mind, so I didn't bother to take it away once we got outside and began walking towards my car. I unlocked the door and waited until she was in her seat before closing it. When I'd slid inside and started the car, I turned to find her watching me. "What?"

"You really want me to sing with you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Are you fishing for compliments?" I teased. She shook her head, and her hair fell like a curtain between us, blocking her face from me. I reached over and tucked it behind her ear, not missing the shiver that shook her frame. "I was joking, Bella. I want to sing with you because your voice is amazing. I think our voices would sound incredible together." She turned and eyed me again.

"Is that a metaphor for something else, or are you really talking about singing?" I laughed.

"I was actually just talking about singing, but if you want to try another kind of duet-" She slapped my arm, and I laughed again. "Does that mean you like it rough?"

"Keep it up, and I'm going to kick you in the balls."

"That would be very difficult for you, seeing as I'm driving and your legs can't exactly reach all the way over here." She snorted.

"I didn't say I'd do it right this second. I'm a patient woman. I can wait you out. You can't stay in this car forever."

"Given the right incentive, I think I could." She shook her head and looked out the window.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm just kind of driving aimlessly. Where do you want to go?"

"Usually at the end of a date, you go home, Edward." I glanced at her.

"You want to go home?"

"You don't?"

"I really don't want to take you home yet," I admitted. "Unless you really want to go." I glanced over again, and she was watching me. It was hard to see her face in the darkness, though.

"It's been a long day, Edward. I don't know that I'll be the best company."

"If you really want to go home, just say so. Otherwise, I don't care if you're half asleep, so long as you're here."

"Okay."

"Okay?" I looked over at her again, and I could see that she was nodding. "Okay, meaning you'll stay with me a little bit longer?"

"Yes – but if I'm dragging tomorrow, I'm blaming you."

"I will fully accept that blame," I answered, chuckling. Inspiration struck. "Do you have a jacket?"

"Um, no. Alice didn't exactly think that a jacket went with this outfit. Why?"

"I think I have one in the back that you can use. I just figured out where we're going."

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was a little bit nervous."

"Don't worry. It's one of my favorite places to go and think when I need to clear my head, or when I need to write."

"Do you often go there after one in the morning?" She asked, her eyes flicking towards the clock on the dashboard.

"Yeah, actually."

"Okay…" she drew the word out and I laughed softly.

"It's a public place, and it's safe, if that's what you're wondering. I'm not taking you somewhere to seduce you, or anything." She mumbled something, but I didn't hear it, and I was afraid to ask her to say whatever she'd said louder. If she was saying something about not wanting me to seduce her, I didn't want to know. if she was saying something about actually wanting me to, I wouldn't have hesitated, and everything in me told me that that would ruin whatever I was starting with this girl – and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

We were silent until I pulled into a parking spot and turned the car off. I watched as she looked outside, and then turned to me with a questioning look.

"I love the way the water looks at night," I explained, shrugging. She looked out at the river and then back to me again.

"I've never been down here."

"You've lived here for three years and you've never been to the waterfront?"

"I'm kind of a homebody, Edward," she said, shaking her head. "I only go out when Rose and Alice _make_ me go out. There's something to be said for curling up on the bed or the couch with a good book and a cup of coffee, or my ipod, or a notebook." I stared at her.

"I would be like that if I could be," I said honestly. "I'm out a lot with the band, and sometimes I just feel the urge to _go_ – it doesn't matter where, so long as I get out of the house. It usually happens more when I'm stressed out. Sometimes I'll come here, sometimes I'll go to the diner, and sometimes I just drive around."

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, just staring out at the water. After a while, she turned to me.

"Can we get out and stretch our legs?"

"Sure. Let me look and see if I have a jacket in the back." I got out and popped the trunk, and while I didn't find a jacket, I did find a gray pullover hoodie. I handed it to her and shut the trunk, watching as she pulled it over her head. It was big on her, and when she pulled the hood up over her curls, I laughed.

"What?" She smiled at me even though she wrinkled her nose adorably. (Shut up, that shit was adorable.) I pulled the drawstrings around the hood that made it tighten a little bit.

"You're cute like this, is all." She bit her lip, and I felt the urge to kiss her. I wondered if she would let me. It felt weird, being uncertain like this, because I hadn't felt so awkward since middle school. By the time I realized that I was probably overthinking it, the moment had passed. I briefly touched the tip of her nose with my finger, and even though I couldn't see it, I was pretty sure she was blushing. I held my hand out and, after a moment's hesitation, she took it. I laced my fingers through hers, and then I led her towards the water.

"It's beautiful out here," she said, her voice breathy.

"It's really peaceful, too – unless you're here on a Friday or Saturday night in the summer. They have live music down here then."

"I know. I saw you guys play in July."

"Bella, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why didn't you ever try to talk to me before now?" She sighed.

"I didn't want to come off as some crazy fan girl. If you ever noticed me, I wanted it to be for _me_, and not because I threw myself at you like a groupie, or because I played your songs on the radio."

"But you didn't have to come on to me just to talk to me," I protested.

"Would you really have even let me get that far? Given your experience, you would've thought that I had ulterior motives." I couldn't disagree. I was suspicious of anyone who approached me if I didn't already know them.

"Okay, you have a point. I still wish you would have at least tried, though."

"What about you? Why didn't you ever call me at the station before this week? I've heard that you kind of liked my radio voice." Kind of didn't even cut it – I fucking _loved_ her voice, and I'd gotten off to it more than once. I felt my face flame, and I was suddenly glad we were in the dark so she couldn't see.

"Truth?"

"Always."

"I was chicken shit. I have a fear of rejection."

"Are you kidding me right now?"

"No, I'm serious. If I ask a girl out, it's because I know in advance that she's going to say yes. I don't handle rejection well at all."

"Well, I guess you got me good, then."

"What do you mean?"

"I said yes to you twice." I saw her lips turn up in a wry smile, and I squeezed her hand. When she squeezed back, I knew that everything was okay, and I smiled.

"So," I began, trying to keep the laughter out of my voice. "We have a rehearsal tomorrow right after lunch." I looked sideways at her, but she wasn't looking at me, she was staring out at the water. "And we're already having lunch together, so you could just stay with me afterwards and sing, too." She smiled and shook her head, and I knew I had her.

"So eager," she teased. I felt my eyes widen, and she turned towards me. I turned my body to face hers, too. It felt like a big deal that she was still holding my hand, though I wasn't sure why. I guess even a small victory is still a victory, right?

"Bella, I would get down on my knees and fucking _beg_ if you wanted me to." Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little.

"Just to sing with you?"

"Yes." This girl fucking _owned_ me – she just didn't know it yet. I would give just about anything to hear that sultry voice singing again.

"Okay." And that was something else that made this girl so incredible – so long as I was genuine and honest with her, she was the same with me. She did not play games, and just knowing that made me want to never let her go. She bit down on her bottom lip for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"I just – it's okay when I have an audience in the dark, because I can't see individual faces – but the rest of the band will be there."

"You already know Jasper, so you won't be uncomfortable around him, right?"

"No," she agreed. "And Emmett kind of seems like a big teddy bear, and I know that he has to be okay, since Rose is interested in him."

"And you know me now," I added.

"Well, I wouldn't really say that I _know_ you," she corrected.

"You're going to," I breathed, hoping she heard the promise in my voice. She looked up at me, and suddenly the air felt charged. This was right. This was going to happen. I reached over and tugged gently on a curl that was sticking out of the hood, and her eyes softened. I slid my palm across her cheek, letting my fingers dip into her hair, and I leaned forward slowly. I watched as her breathing hitched. I savored the sight of her eyes slipping closed. And fuck it all to hell and back if I didn't feel electrified down to my toes when our lips finally touched.

I released her hand so I could move it to cup the other side of her face and hold her to me. It was the most chaste kiss that I'd been a part of since middle school, but _goddamn_ it was hot. She smelled so good, and her lips were so fucking soft. I couldn't help myself. I pressed kiss after kiss after kiss against her lips, and I was starting to feel a little lightheaded from the contact. I was pretty proud of myself for not throwing her down on the ground and having my way with her over and over, because the temptation was definitely there.

I felt her hands fist in the front of my shirt, and my control wavered a little. I opened my mouth just enough to capture her bottom lip between mine. When I went back for another kiss, her mouth was open, too, and she caught my upper lip between hers. I don't know how long we stood like that, but I think I could've stayed that way for the rest of my life and been happy. When she pulled away, it was all I could do not to pull her right back for more.

"Edward," she breathed, her eyes still shut. My heart twisted a little, because whatever she was about to say didn't sound like it was going to be good. I was too breathless from the kissing to answer her. "I think it's only fair to warn you that I'm not the kind of girl who just falls into bed with every guy she's attracted to."

"I know that," I said, my voice hoarse. "Or we'd be in bed right now." She snickered, and the somber mood was broken.

"A little cocky, aren't you?"

"I like to say I'm confident."

"I'm sure. All the same, I'm serious. I'm not looking for a one night stand, or a friends with benefits relationship."

"And your point is?" It didn't escape my notice that her hands were still fisted in my shirt, and that my hands were resting on her hips. Despite what she was saying, we were still in a pretty intimate position.

"My point is that I'm not into playing games. I want you, but I don't want-"

"I'm not into games, either. Why do you think I've avoided being in a relationship for so long? Every girl I've ever been with has toyed with me somehow."

"I won't do that," she said, her eyes meeting mine finally.

"I know – which is why this is going to work. I also need you to not overthink things, Bella. Right now we're just getting to know each other, remember?" Her lips curved up into a smile.

"I think that what we just did moved us a little past the getting to know each other stage." I rolled my eyes, even though I couldn't bite back a smile.

"We didn't even use tongues, Bella." Damn. Even just saying it was enough to make my blood heat. She must've thought the same thing, because she bit down on her bottom lip.

"It's not because I didn't want to," she said, shrugging a little. I think I might have moaned, but I wasn't sure if it was just in my head or actually out loud.

"Okay, you can't say shit like that to me if you want to go slow. I've pretty much just wanted to kiss the hell out of you since I sang to you." Her eyes widened and she shivered a little. Fuck, I was an inconsiderate asshole. It was cold enough that she was shivering even with my hoodie on. I slid my arms around her and pulled her close, hugging her to my chest. I expected her to protest, but instead she pressed her cheek to my shoulder. Her breath tickled my neck, and my stomach was doing slow somersaults.

"Well, hopefully you will kiss me like that, but it's not going to be tonight. I'm freezing. Can we go back to the car?" Despite the shiver that went through me as she spoke, I laughed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry." She pulled away from me a little, and I reached for her hands, rubbing them in mine. Shit, they were cold. I was an asshole for keeping her out here. "Come on." I kept hold of one of her hands and led her back to the car. Once we were inside, I put the heat on full blast.

"I never should have let Rose and Alice talk me into this stupid outfit," she lamented, holding her hands out in front of one of the vents. "If I'd worn more clothes, I wouldn't feel like a popsicle."

"I'm sorry that you're cold, but I'm not gonna lie – the outfit is _hot_." She snorted.

"Thanks, but I don't normally dress that way."

"What way?" I asked, curious. I thought the whole damn thing was great, but I was also a guy, and I loved looking at bare skin. The peeks I'd gotten through the holes in her shirt was more than enough to serve as masturbation material for weeks – and the red lacy bra didn't hurt, either.

"With everything on display. I don't mind form-fitting clothes, but I don't usually wear things so tight that it's difficult to move or breathe in them, and I don't usually show my boobs off to everyone – maybe a hint of cleavage here and there, but never like this." She gestured towards her hoodie-covered chest, and I couldn't help but glance over even though I knew that they were covered.

"Speaking as a boob lover, I appreciated the view." It was her turn to laugh.

"Noted."

"I also enjoyed the Pixies shirt, though."

"That's one of my favorite shirts," she said, bouncing a little in her seat. "I _love_ the Pixies. Doolittle is probably one of my favorite albums of all time."

"What's your favorite song on the album?"

"How can you choose? They're all great. I guess if I were forced to choose, I'd probably say 'This Monkey's Gone to Heaven.'"

"Mine is 'Wave of Mutilation."

"I love that one, too!"

"Okay, tell me your top five favorite albums of all time," I challenged.

"Off the top of my head? That takes some thinking about."

"Tell me on the show tomorrow."

"On the air?"

"Sure, why not?"

"How will you tell me yours?"

"Over lunch."

"Okay. Challenge accepted, but I reserve the right to modify my list as time goes on, because this requires serious consideration." I grinned.

"I understand. Condition accepted. Now tell me where I'm supposed to be taking you." She rattled off her address, and I was a little surprised to discover that she lived on campus. She was in the same co-ed dorm that Jake lived in. I wondered how they'd never run into each other before.

"Okay, what's your favorite song right now?" She asked, turning a little in her seat to look at me. I thought for a minute.

"I'm not trying to suck up, I swear to God – but I have your song 'Ragdoll' on repeat." I wasn't about to tell her that it was because when I closed my eyes, I could picture her slinking around the room in her little dress and heels. In my mind, her bedroom eyes were focused on me and me only.

"Ugh," she said, wrinkling her nose at me. "Okay, I guess you would've had the same reaction if I'd said one of your songs, right?"

"Um," I said, glancing sideways at her, and then looking away. "Not if you'd said 'Inside of You.'"

"What?"

"I actually _did_ write it for you – even though I didn't know it was you yet."

"What?" she repeated, her voice breathy this time.

"I had the Duchess in mind when I wrote it. Your voice was in my head the whole time I wrote it, and-" My voice died in my throat as she slid across the seat and reached behind my head, placing both hands on the back of my neck.

"You wrote it for me?" she clarified, her lips so close to mine that her breath tickled. I nodded, and then her mouth was on me. My arms went around her and I tried to pull her close, even though we were at an awkward angle. It didn't seem to matter to her, though – warmth washed over me in waves when I felt her tongue run tentatively across the seam of my lips. I parted them and as soon as our tongues touched, I felt like I'd spiked a fever. It was definitely getting hotter in here.

I felt frenzied. I was never going to get enough of this; of her. Her fingers moved up and tangled in my hair, and _Jesus Christ_ when I felt her tug gently on it, I swear I nearly fucking lost my mind. I felt my eyes roll back in my head, and I kissed her harder. One of us moaned, but I wasn't sure if it had slipped out of my throat or hers.

It felt like only five minutes had passed when we finally stopped, and both of us were struggling to get the necessary air back into our lungs. I glanced at the clock – holy shit! We'd been kissing for almost thirty minutes! It was no wonder that her lips looked swollen. I'd bet that mine did, too. I watched as her tongue darted out to moisten those swollen lips, and I fought back the urge to attack her mouth again.

"I fucking swear to God, I will write _all_ of my songs from now on just for you." She laughed softly and looked embarrassed.

"I'm sending mixed signals, and I don't mean to," she said apologetically. "But I couldn't help it. No one's ever written a song for me before – even if it wasn't technically for _me_ - and it would've been special no matter who wrote it, but for it to have come from you –" she shook her head and closed her eyes. "Please. Why don't you stop me when the verbal diarrhea starts?"

"I didn't hear anything bad in there," I pointed out, smiling. When she didn't look up, I reached out and hugged her close. "Hey, don't. Please don't be embarrassed to tell me anything. I want you to be comfortable with me. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything, everything, and sometimes even nothing at all."

She looked up, and I'm not ashamed to say that the soft little smile she gave me made my heart skip a few beats.

"How do you know just what to say to calm me down? It took Alice years to learn how to do that. Rose still doesn't always know how." I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. When I pulled away, her eyes were closed. "I'm a little afraid," she admitted.

"Of what?"

"This. You."

"Why would you be afraid of me?"

"I keep mostly to myself. The last relationship I was in was two years ago, and he hurt me pretty badly. You were okay to crush on as long as you were unreachable. Now you're here, and you're so much better than I'd imagined – I'm afraid that I'll get too invested and I'll get hurt again."

"I can't promise I won't ever hurt you, but I can swear that I'll sure as hell do my best not to." She rested her cheek against my chest. "I promise we'll be worth it, Bella, but I need you to give me a chance. I don't want to be all in and giving a hundred percent when you're holding back. It wouldn't be fair to either of us."

"I know. You're right. It doesn't make me any less scared, though."

"You won't know if you don't try, right?"

"You're right." She pulled away and looked me straight in the eye. "I'm all in. I promise. No holding back."

"I won't hold back, either – even when I'm being an asshole." She laughed, and the somber mood was broken.

"I wouldn't want you to. I'm not going to hold back when I'm feeling bitchy, either."

"I seriously doubt that your bitchy side is anywhere near being as bad as my asshole side is." She arched an eyebrow. Fuck it all if that didn't make me hot again.

"Famous last words, Mr. Cullen." _Jesus Christ_, was she trying to kill me? Mr. Cullen? That shit was going in the spank bank. Damn. I needed to hear that again, and soon. "We'll see when I'm PMSing who gets bitchier. Until then, though, I think I should probably go ahead and go inside." She nodded her head in the direction of her dorm. I didn't try to hide my disappointment, and she gave me that fucking soft smile again before pressing a light kiss to my cheek.

"It's not like I won't see you tomorrow," she breathed.

"I know. It's just that I feel like I _just_ caught you, and I don't want to let you go yet." She sucked in a breath and shook her head.

"There you go again." The touch of her lips on mine was so feather-light and gone so quickly that I wasn't even sure if it had happened, or if I might have imagined it. "Goodnight, Edward."

I waited and watched until she disappeared inside of her dorm, and then I went home. I highly doubted that I was going to get any sleep at all tonight – I had songs to write.


End file.
